With minimal wind shear and warm waters, the agency forecast the cyclone to intensify further to peak 10-sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph).

Next year, the agency is forecasting that global demand will grow 1.4 million barrels a day, to 83.8 million barrels.

The agency also forecasts hazardous winter and fire weather.

The agency forecast an even sharper 28.3 percent climb in 2003, to 7.54 trillion won ($6.4 billion).

That agency, part of the United States Department of Energy, forecast a 2 percent increase in OPEC revenue for 2005.

Russian economic agencies forecast the number of unemployed in Russia will not exceed 2.8m by the end of 2009.

Officials said this was particularly true in Asia, where the agency forecast a million to 1.5 million infections by 2000, but where 500,000 have already occurred.

A meteorologist at the weather service, James R. Poirier, said the agency was forecasting normal rainfall for the next 30 days.

The agency forecast the storm to strengthen further; however, by late on 6 November it had begun weakening.

The agency, based in Paris, forecasts that Saudi production will need to reach 20 million barrels a day by 2020.