US braced for heavy hurricane season

The US is preparing for yet another difficult hurricane season following the latest predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The organisation has warned the country that there are likely to be between 13 and 16 named storms during the season, which begins on June 1st and runs until the end of November.

Four of those are expected to be major hurricanes, the NOAA predicts, with the majority reaching hurricane force.

However, despite the concerns, the NOAA does not anticipate the season to be as eventful as last year, when unprecedented numbers of severe storms battered the country and broke records.

Of those, the worst was Hurricane Katrina, which breached flood defences in New Orleans, causing widespread devastation to the city.

In New Orleans, the rebuilding work is still going on and residents will be hoping that they are spared this time around, as the city attempts to regenerate its profitable tourist trade.