WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season will be active with 12 to 16 named storms, six to nine of which are expected to become hurricanes, the U.S. government's top climate agency predicted on Thursday.

Of the six to nine hurricanes forecast, two to five will be major ones of Category 3 or higher with winds above 110 miles per hour, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its annual forecast.