LATEST: 'Ophelia' has been upgraded to a rare Category 3 Hurricane by the National Hurricane Centre in the US.

Hurricane Nate is now expected to be a Category 2 hurricane when it makes landfall on the US central Gulf Coast in the coming hours.

Hurricane Maria has intensified into a "potentially catastrophic" category five storm as it continues on a collision course with Caribbean islands already battered by Irma.

Hurricane Maria which is heading towards the Caribbean has rapidly intensified, as a second major storm looks set to batter the region just days after Irma.

A tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic and is expected to strengthen, prompting hurricane watches for some of the Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma.

Hurricane Irma is showing signs of weakening and could be downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday.

Relief efforts are under way on islands devastated by Hurricane Irma, as a second "extremely dangerous" storm threatens the Caribbean.

The flood waters from Tropical Storm Harvey are beginning to drop across much of the Houston area, emergency officials said.

The National Hurricane Centre says Harvey is back on land after coming ashore early today just west of Cameron, Louisiana.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin.

Rising floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent thousands of people scrambling on to rooftops or higher ground in Houston, overwhelming rescuers who fielded countless desperate calls for help.

One-fearsome hurricane Harvey has spun deeper into Texas, unloading extraordinary amounts of rain after crashing into vulnerable homes and businesses along the coastline in a blow that killed at least two people and injured up to 14.

Hurricane Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, leaving one person dead and smashing homes and businesses.

Hurricane Harvey hit his coastal community "right on the nose" and left "widespread devastation", a Texas mayor said.

Hurricane Harvey, the fiercest cyclone to hit the US in more than a decade, has slammed into Texas, lashing a wide swathe of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain.

Hurricane Matthew has gone from the US, but the disaster its rains unleashed will be felt throughout the week as rivers across eastern North Carolina rise to levels unseen since Hurricane Floyd struck in 1999.

Weather system Hermine has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves inland after making landfall in Florida's Big Bend area as a hurricane.

Hurricane Gonzalo has gathered strength as it moves away from the eastern end of the Caribbean, and forecasters say it could become a powerful category 4 storm as it heads towards Bermuda.

Hurricane Arthur has made landfall near the southern end of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has prompted a hurricane warning for a wide stretch of the North Carolina coast.

At least 13 people have been killed in the US and millions are without power after Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline and hurled a record-breaking 13ft surge of seawater at New York City.

Two people from a Tall Ship caught in Hurricane Sandy are missing after the crew was forced to abandon it amid fierce winds and high seas.

Hurricane Sandy is threatening 50 million people on America's heavily-populated east coast today and forecasters warned that New York could bear the brunt of the one-of-a-kind superstorm.

Close to 400,000 people were ordered to evacuate coastal areas in the north-eastern US as cities and towns were braced for the onslaught of a “superstorm” threatening some 60m people along the country’s most heavily-populated corridor.

Tens of thousands of residents were ordered to evacuate coastal areas in the north eastern United States today as big cities and small towns across the US Northeast braced for the onslaught of a superstorm threatening some 60 million people along the most heavily populated corridor in the nation.

Hurricane Sandy headed north from the Caribbean – where it left nearly 60 dead - to threaten the eastern US today with sheets of rain, high winds and heavy snow as millions were warned to get out of its path.

Tropical Storm Rafael has formed over the eastern Caribbean Sea, and warnings have been issued for numerous Caribbean islands.

Tropical Storm Leslie has strengthened in the Atlantic, forecasters warned today.

New Orleans’ flood defences appeared to withstand Hurricane Isaac, but thousands of people to the north and south of the city had to be evacuated or rescued as the storm lingered over the US Gulf Coast with whistling winds and constant rain. At least two deaths were reported.

Isaac turned into a full-blown category 1 hurricane today as it rolled over the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana, where residents in four states left boarded-up homes and New Orleans waited nervously behind flood-defence levees strengthened after the devastating Katrina struck exactly seven years ago.

Tropical storm Isaac was on the verge of becoming a full-blown hurricane as it rolled over the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana.

The centre of Tropical Storm Isaac’s projected path is heading directly for New Orleans and could make landfall as early as tonight, nearly seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

Tropical Storm Isaac gained fresh muscle today as it neared the Florida Keys, threatening to be at or near hurricane strength approaching the island chain.

A potential hurricane is posing a threat to next week’s Republican National Convention in Florida, which culminates in the nomination of Mitt Romney for presidential candidate.

Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall in north-east Florida today, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to the south-eastern US coast.

Hurricane Jova has strengthened to a major Category 3 hurricane as it marches toward Mexico’s Pacific coast, threatening the idyllic beach resort of Barra de Navidad and one of the nation’s biggest cargo ports.

Tropical Storm Lee dumped more than a foot of rain in New Orleans and spun off tornadoes elsewhere as its centre came ashore in a slow crawl north that raised fears of inland flash flooding in America’s Deep South and beyond.

TROPICAL storm Lee crawled onto southern Louisiana’s coast as New Orleans prepared for one of the biggest tests of its flood defences since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.

No longer a hurricane, Irene spent the last of its fury and sloshed its way into Canada early today, inflicting relatively little damage to New York but leaving a trail of treacherous flooding and millions without power along America’s east coast.

IRENE charged into New England yesterday as it weakened to a tropical storm after racing across New York city leaving the East Coast stunned, with at least 16 dead, widespread flooding and power outages for four million homes and businesses.

Irene has weakened to a tropical storm as it raced across New York City, leaving behind a stunned east coast where at least nine people died, severe flooding was widespread and four million homes were without power.

A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene slammed into the New Jersey shore with 75mph winds today after dumping a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia, killing nine people and knocking out power to at least two million homes.

A weakened but still dangerous Hurricane Irene slammed into the New Jersey shore with 75mph winds today after dumping a foot of rain on North Carolina and Virginia, killing eight people and knocking out power to at least two million homes.

Hurricane Irene opened its assault on the Eastern Seaboard today by lashing the North Carolina coast with wind as strong as 115 mph and pounding shoreline homes with waves.

Hurricane Irene has smashed into the North Carolina coast, forecasters said.

Hurricane Irene zeroed in for a catastrophic run up the US East Coast as more than two million people were told to move to safer places, and New York City ordered America’s biggest underground system shut down for the first time because of a natural disaster.

Tropical storm-force winds from Hurricane Irene have begun lashing the east coast of the US, with the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage.

Thousands of holidaymakers on the US east coast have been ordered to head home as Hurricane Irene approaches.

Hurricane Irene has regained Category 2 strength with 100mph winds as it heads toward the east coast of the US.

A storm system reached hurricane strength in the Caribbean today as it heads toward earthquake-ravaged Haiti.