El Nino behind slower-than-normal hurricane season, forecasters say.

Byline: Ken Kaye

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ In the past month, the tropics have exploded with activity, including four tropical storms and two major hurricanes named Bill and Fred.

Yet this storm season already is shaping up to be slower than normal, and El Nino, the atmospheric condition known to suppress storms, is largely to thank, forecasters say.

"El Nino is now affecting the upper-level circulation throughout the global tropics," said Gerry Bell, lead hurricane forecaster for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Created by abnormally warm waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, El Nino generates strong wind shear over the Atlantic …