Louisiana is bracing for Hurricane Nate as the Category 1 wind makes its way through the Gulf of Mexico.

Nate is expected to make landfall on Saturday night US time, and many parts of the southeastern state have been declared emergency zones.

A number of Central American countries have already been battered by Nate, with several people left dead.

Donald Trump issued federal assistance for Louisiana over the weekend,, including many coastal areas, as Nate approaches.

Forecasters predict that Nate will hit across the US Gulf Coast.

Currently winds as strong as 85mph have been recorded, but it is feared the hurricane could gain strength.

So far, people are on hurricane stand-by from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border, as well as New Orleans.

Some people have been ordered to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands.

Mississippi has opened 11 evacuation centres in preparation.

A number of Central American countries have felt the full force of Nate, at the time a tropical storm, as it made its way north.

At least 11 people were killed in Nicaragua due to the storm, with several rivers being left swollen.

Costa Rica blamed seven deaths on Nate, with 5,000 people being forced into emergency shelters.

In Honduras, there were three dead and three missing, while a World Cup qualifier between Costa Rica and and Honduras was cancelled on Friday night.

Louisiana experienced mass destruction and more than 1,000 people died when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the state in 2005.

It was one of the five deadliest hurricanes in US history.

The US has already been battered by Hurricane Harvey and Irma this year, with Texas and Florida experiencing widespread damage across August and September.