Hurricane Erin intensifies offshore, lashes Caribbean with rain
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest report the storm's maximum sustained winds had increased to 160 miles (255 kilometers) per hour.
It was located about 135 miles (215 kilometers) northwest of Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands, an area that includes the US and British Virgin Islands.
A flash flood warning was issued for Saint Thomas and Saint John in the US Virgin Islands as outer rain bands from Erin swept across, according to the US National Weather Service.
Tropical storm watches were in effect for St Martin, St Barthelemy, Sint Maarten and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
"Erin is now a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane," the NHC announced earlier Saturday, denoting highly dangerous storms with sustained windspeeds above above 157 mph.
The storm reached the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale just over 24 hours after becoming a Category 1 hurricane, a rapid intensification that scientists say has become more common due to global warming.
The hurricane's center is expected to move over the weekend just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
It is then forecast to pass east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas on Sunday night before weakening.
The storm could drench the islands with as much as six inches (15 centimeters) of rain in isolated areas, the NHC said.
"Continued rapid strengthening is expected today, followed by fluctuations in intensity through the weekend," the agency said in an earlier report.
It also warned of "locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides."
Climate hazard
Swells generated by Erin will affect portions of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands through the weekend.
Those swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda and the US East Coast early next week, creating "life-threatening surf and rip currents," the NHC said.
The hurricane is expected to turn northwest on Saturday night, then turn northward early next week. It is expected to weaken from Monday.
While meteorologists have expressed confidence that Erin will remain well off the US coastline, they said the storm could still cause dangerous waves and erosion in places such as North Carolina.
The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June until late November, is expected to be more intense than normal, US meteorologists predict.
Several powerful storms wreaked havoc in the region last year, including Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people in the southeastern United States.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- which operates the NHC -- has been subject to budget cuts and layoffs as part of US President Donald Trump's plans to greatly reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy, leading to fears of lapses in storm forecasting.
Human-driven climate change -- namely, rising sea temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels -- has increased both the possibility of the development of more intense storms, and their more rapid intensification, scientists say.
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France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Hurricane Erin intensifies offshore, lashes Caribbean with rain
The first hurricane of what is expected to be a particularly intense Atlantic season, Erin is expected to drench Caribbean islands with rain and strong winds but not make landfall. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest report the storm's maximum sustained winds had increased to 160 miles (255 kilometers) per hour. It was located about 135 miles (215 kilometers) northwest of Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands, an area that includes the US and British Virgin Islands. A flash flood warning was issued for Saint Thomas and Saint John in the US Virgin Islands as outer rain bands from Erin swept across, according to the US National Weather Service. Tropical storm watches were in effect for St Martin, St Barthelemy, Sint Maarten and the Turks and Caicos Islands. "Erin is now a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane," the NHC announced earlier Saturday, denoting highly dangerous storms with sustained windspeeds above above 157 mph. The storm reached the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale just over 24 hours after becoming a Category 1 hurricane, a rapid intensification that scientists say has become more common due to global warming. The hurricane's center is expected to move over the weekend just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. It is then forecast to pass east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas on Sunday night before weakening. The storm could drench the islands with as much as six inches (15 centimeters) of rain in isolated areas, the NHC said. "Continued rapid strengthening is expected today, followed by fluctuations in intensity through the weekend," the agency said in an earlier report. It also warned of "locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides." Climate hazard Swells generated by Erin will affect portions of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands through the weekend. Those swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda and the US East Coast early next week, creating "life-threatening surf and rip currents," the NHC said. The hurricane is expected to turn northwest on Saturday night, then turn northward early next week. It is expected to weaken from Monday. While meteorologists have expressed confidence that Erin will remain well off the US coastline, they said the storm could still cause dangerous waves and erosion in places such as North Carolina. The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June until late November, is expected to be more intense than normal, US meteorologists predict. Several powerful storms wreaked havoc in the region last year, including Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people in the southeastern United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- which operates the NHC -- has been subject to budget cuts and layoffs as part of US President Donald Trump's plans to greatly reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy, leading to fears of lapses in storm forecasting. Human-driven climate change -- namely, rising sea temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels -- has increased both the possibility of the development of more intense storms, and their more rapid intensification, scientists say.
LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
Hurricane Erin intensifies to 'catastrophic' category 5 storm in Caribbean
Hurricane Erin on Saturday, August 16, strengthened to a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm as it barreled toward the Caribbean, with weather officials warning of possible flash floods and landslides. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest report that the storm's maximum sustained winds had increased to 255 kilometers per hour by 11:20 am local time. Erin, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season this year, was located about 170 kilometers northeast of Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands, an area that includes the US and British Virgin Islands. "Erin is now a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane," the NHC said. Tropical storm watches remained in effect for St Martin, St Barthelemy and Sint Maarten. The hurricane's center is expected to move over the weekend just north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The storm could drench the islands with as much as 15 centimeters of rain in isolated areas, the NHC said. "Continued rapid strengthening is expected today, followed by fluctuations in intensity through the weekend," the agency said in an earlier report. It also warned of "locally considerable flash and urban flooding, along with landslides or mudslides." Swells generated by Erin will affect portions of the northern Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos Islands through the weekend. Those swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda and the US East Coast early next week, creating "life-threatening surf and rip currents," the NHC said. The hurricane is forecast to turn northward by late Sunday. While meteorologists have expressed confidence that Erin will remain well off the US coastline, they said the storm could still cause dangerous waves and erosion in places such as North Carolina. The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June until late November, is expected to be more intense than normal, US meteorologists predict. Several powerful storms wreaked havoc in the region last year, including Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people in the southeastern United States. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which operates the NHC, has been subject to budget cuts and layoffs as part of US President Donald Trump's plans to greatly reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy, leading to fears of lapses in storm forecasting. Climate change – namely, rising sea temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels – has increased both the possibility of the development of more intense storms and their more rapid intensification, scientists say.
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
Hurricane Erin intensifies in Atlantic, eyes Caribbean
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that as of 0000 GMT, the storm's maximum sustained winds increased to 85 miles (137 kilometers) per hour, and was located about 310 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, an area that includes the US and British Virgin Islands. Erin, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season this year, is expected to produce heavy rain from late Friday into Sunday for those areas, the center said, warning of possible isolated and local "considerable flash and urban flooding," along with landslides or mudslides. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthelmy and other islands. "Steady to rapid strengthening is expected over the next few days, and Erin is forecast to become a major hurricane during the weekend," the NHC said, with Haiti, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas on the southern edge of its projected path. The storm could drench the islands with as much as six inches (15 centimeters) of rain in isolated areas, it added. Swells fueled by Erin are expected to affect parts of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and "are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," according to the NHC. The hurricane is forecast to turn northward by late Sunday. While meteorologists have expressed confidence that Erin will remain well off the US coastline, they said the storm may still cause dangerous waves and erosion in places like North Carolina. The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June until late November, is expected to be more intense than normal, US meteorologists predict. Last year, several powerful storms wreaked havoc in the region, including Hurricane Helene, which left more than 200 people dead in the southeastern United States. As part of President Donald Trump's plans to greatly reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- which operates the NHC -- has been subject to budget cuts and layoffs, leading to fears of lapses in storm forecasting. Climate change -- namely, rising sea temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels -- has increased both the possibility of the development of more intense storms, and their more rapid intensification, scientists say.
