Expert says more hurricanes on the way; Dr. William Gray predicts 20 named storms in one of the most active seasons in years.(A SECTION)

Byline: CATHY ZOLLO cathy.zollo@heraldtribune.com

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- The nation's leading authority on long-range hurricane forecasting says 2005 will be one of the most active hurricane seasons on record.

Dr. William Gray and his colleagues at Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science expect 20 named storms to form in the Atlantic basin this year. Half of them will become hurricanes and six of those will have wind speeds of 111 mph or more, he said.

Gray issued his updated forecast Friday, echoing the updated forecast issued by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration this week. NOAA predicted up to 21 named …