WASHINGTON, May 21 (AFP) - A "normal" hurricane season is on the horizon for the Atlantic region, with between five and seven hurricanes expected, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.

NOAA experts did warn residents of US Atlantic and Gulf Coast states to prepare for storms throughout the season which officially begins June 1 and ends November 30.

In a normal hurricane season, typically eight to 11 tropical storms will pelt the Atlantic region, with five to seven reaching hurricane strength and sustaining winds greater than 118 kilometers per hour (74 miles), NOAA experts told reporters here. A major hurricane, of which two or three are expected, packs winds of up to 177 kilometers per hour (110 miles).

But the absence of strong La Nina conditions this season will bring fewer storms to the region, compared to the past three years, NOAA said. In 2000, there were 14 named storms, eight of which became hurricanes.

NOAA's predictions are in line with research conducted by William Gray of the University of Colorado, who last week predicted six hurricanes would hit the Atlantic this season, two of which should be "major."

Last October in one of the worst storms of the season, Hurricane Keith pelted the Atlantic coast of Central America and Mexico, killing at least 14 and causing the evacuation of thousands.