With freezing blizzards, wildfires and devastating floods, America has suffered enough weather related disaster so far this year to last a lifetime.But in its first storm forecast this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an 'above normal' season with six to 10 hurricanes expected - of which around half could become major.
The news heaps further misery on Americans who have already suffered five billion dollars in weather related damage in 2011 so far - the highest ever recorded for a half year.
Tornadoes, blizzards, floods, wildfires and storms have inflicted record costs because of their severity and their location - hitting populous areas such as Memphis, Tennessee, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Six to 10 of those storms were seen developing into hurricanes, of which three to six could become major at Category 3 or above, with winds of more than 110 miles per hour, the agency said.
NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco told a news conference: 'NOAA's forecast team is calling for an above-normal season this year.'
But she added NOAA's forecasting capacity could not yet pinpoint where or when a hurricane would hit: 'This hurricane outlook does not make any predictions about landfall, either place or timing.
NOAA's 2011 outlook mirrors that of earlier predictions from private forecasters calling for an active hurricane season this year.
The hurricane season officially starts on June 1 and typically peaks between late August and mid-October.
An average Atlantic hurricane season brings 11 tropical storms with six hurricanes, including two major hurricanes, NOAA said. Read More
