SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The top U.S. hurricane expert said Thursday that this year‘s hurricane season is likely to be stronger than average, though short of the record 2005 season, the costliest on record.

"It would be an unbelievable record to have another season like that, that‘s just not very realistic," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

"I think everybody is going to say we‘re going to have an above-average season here," Mayfield told a news conference at a San Juan hotel, adding: "We don‘t have the numbers worked out yet."