The acting head of Fema told colleagues he was not aware America had a hurricane season, according to a report.

Staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) were left baffled when David Richardson, who has led the agency since early May, said he had not been aware the country has a hurricane season during a briefing on Monday, according to four sources familiar with the situation.

The US hurricane season officially began on Sunday and lasts through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast last week that this year’s season is expected to bring as many as 10 hurricanes.

A spokesman for the department of homeland security (DHS) which oversees Fema insisted Mr Richardson was joking when he made the remark.

Mr Richardson said during the briefing that there would be no changes to the agency’s disaster response plans despite having told staff to expect a new plan in May, the sources told Reuters.