Not that anyone's complaining, but so far this hurricane season hasn't been nearly as intense as it could have been – largely because of strong upper-level winds.

Called Westerlies, these winds have sheared apart a number of systems and prevented others from becoming full-blown hurricanes. Among them: Tropical Storms Chantal, Gabrielle, Ingrid and Karen.

Indeed, the winds have been so swift and persistent that it's almost as though El Niño has returned. That atmospheric condition, created by a warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, shreds storms with tenacious winds. It helped make the 2006 season relatively calm.