logo
Erin expected to become a Category 5 hurricane, NHC says

Erin expected to become a Category 5 hurricane, NHC says

Straits Timesa day ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Hurricane Erin, which is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, could become a Category 5 hurricane, with additional strengthening expected this afternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Saturday.
The storm is currently 235 miles (375 km) east-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph).
Swells generated by Erin will affect portions of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Turks and Caicos Islands through the weekend, NHC said.
The swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the east coast of the United States early next week, it said.
Erin is expected to produce areas of heavy rainfall through Sunday across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, the Center said. REUTERS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Spain battles 20 major wildfires amid scorching heat, deploys more troops
Spain battles 20 major wildfires amid scorching heat, deploys more troops

Straits Times

time12 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Spain battles 20 major wildfires amid scorching heat, deploys more troops

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A dog walks past a cemetery as smoke rises from a wildfire in As Fermosas, in the Ourense province, Galicia, Spain, August 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nacho Doce VILLARDEVÓS - Scorching heat hampered efforts to contain 20 major wildfires across Spain on Sunday, prompting the government to deploy an additional 500 troops from the military emergency unit to support firefighting operations. In the northwestern region of Galicia, several fires have converged to form a large blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail services to the region. Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades, with Spain among the hardest-hit countries. In the past week alone, fires there have claimed three lives and burned more than 115,000 hectares, while neighbouring Portugal also battles widespread blazes. Temperatures are expected to reach up to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in some areas on Sunday, Spanish national weather agency AEMET said. "There are still some challenging days ahead and, unfortunately, the weather is not on our side," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told a news conference in Ourense, one of the most affected areas. He announced an increase in military reinforcements, bringing the total number of troops deployed across Spain to 1,900. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDR 2025: New govt-funded traineeship scheme for ITE, poly, university graduates Singapore NDR 2025: CDCs to spearhead new effort to match job seekers to roles nearer to home, says PM Wong Singapore NDR 2025: US baseline tariff of 10% on Singapore offers 'little comfort', says PM Wong Singapore NDR 2025: S'pore looking at more ways to strengthen online safety for children and support parents Sport Third time's the charm as Aaron Liang dethrones Samuel Kang en route to national squash title World European leaders to join Zelensky for Ukraine talks with Trump Asia Mandarin with Taiwanese characteristics: Taipei leverages language as soft power tool Asia 'Rats from the sky': Urban India finds itself divided on pigeons Virginia Barcones, director general of emergency services, told Spanish public TV temperatures were expected to drop from Tuesday, but for now the weather conditions were "very adverse". "Today there are extremely high temperatures with an extreme risk of fires, which complicates the firefighting efforts," Barcones said. VILLAGERS RESORT TO BUCKETS In the village of Villardevos in Galicia, desperate neighbours have organised to fight the flames on their own with water buckets as the area was left without electricity to power water pumps. "The fireplanes come in from all sides, but they don't come here," Basilio Rodriguez, a resident, told Reuters on Saturday. Added Lorea Pascual, another local resident: "It's insurmountable, it couldn't be worse". Interior ministry data show 27 people have been arrested and 92 were under investigation for suspected arson since June. In neighbouring Portugal, wildfires have burnt some 155,000 hectares of vegetation so far this year, according to provisional data from the ICNF forestry protection institute - three times the average for this period between 2006 to 2024. About half of that area burned just in the past three days. Thousands of firefighters were battling eight large blazes in central and northern Portugal, the largest of them near Piodao, a scenic, mountainous area popular with tourists. Another blaze in Trancoso, further north, has now been raging for eight days. A smaller fire a few miles east claimed a local resident's life on Friday - the first this season. REUTERS

Northern China flash flood kills 8, Xinhua reports
Northern China flash flood kills 8, Xinhua reports

Straits Times

time20 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Northern China flash flood kills 8, Xinhua reports

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BEIJING - At least eight people have died in a flash flood in northern China, state media reported on Aug 17, with four others still missing, as the East-Asian monsoon continues to unleash atmospheric chaos across the world's second-largest economy. The banks of a river running through the grasslands of Inner Mongolia burst at around 10pm on Aug 16, the report said, washing away 13 campers on the outskirts of Bayannur city, a major agricultural hub. One person has been rescued. China has suffered weeks of extreme weather since July, battered by heavier-than-usual downpours with the monsoon stalling over its north and south. Weather experts link the shifting pattern to climate change, testing officials as flash floods displace thousands and threaten billions of dollars in economic losses. Bayannur is an important national grain and oil production base, as well as a sheep breeding and processing centre. At the other end of the country, a three-and-a-half-month fishing suspension in the southern province of Hainan ended on Aug 16, state media reported, after agricultural affairs officials ordered ships to shelter in port owing to persistent, heavy rain. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore I want to divorce my husband and be a single mother: More victims speaking up on emotional abuse World Trump drops Ukraine ceasefire demand after Putin summit Singapore Buying hope: Inside S'pore's love affair with the lottery Singapore She won big in Genting, but getting $240k winnings back to Singapore was dicey Life These cats may have disabilities, but they are resilient and capable of being affectionate Singapore PM Wong's National Day Rally speech to begin at 6.45pm on Aug 17 Singapore Motorcyclist dies after multi-vehicle collision on TPE Opinion Confessions of a born-again Singaporean The deluge in Inner Mongolia follows a deadly downpour in Beijing - just under 1,000km away - late last month which killed at least 44 people and forced the evacuation of more than 70,000 residents. The central government announced last week 430 million yuan (S$76.6 million) in fresh funding for disaster relief, taking the total allocated since April to at least 5.8 billion yuan. REUTERS

Flash floods in India's Kashmir region kills 60, PTI reports
Flash floods in India's Kashmir region kills 60, PTI reports

Straits Times

time21 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Flash floods in India's Kashmir region kills 60, PTI reports

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A train crosses over a flooded railway bridge during heavy rainfall in Jalandhar on Aug 14. SRINAGAR, India – At least 60 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in India's northern-most region of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Press Trust of India. Local police and other agencies are conducting search and rescue operations in the region of Kishtwar, about 200km from capital Srinagar. Authorities are estimating that scores of people are still buried under the debris. In a post on X on Aug 15, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that he will 'review the rescue operation and assess what further help is required'. The weather department has predicted above-average rainfall during the June-September monsoon season. Cloudbursts, floods, and landslides have caused significant loss of life and property in the recent months, with hilly areas being the worst affected. Last week, flash floods swept away an entire village in the northern state of Uttarakhand. In his Independence Day speech on Aug 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed solidarity with those affected by recent natural disasters across the country. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore I want to divorce my husband and be a single mother: More victims speaking up on emotional abuse World Trump drops Ukraine ceasefire demand after Putin summit Singapore Buying hope: Inside S'pore's love affair with the lottery Singapore She won big in Genting, but getting $240k winnings back to Singapore was dicey Life These cats may have disabilities, but they are resilient and capable of being affectionate Singapore Motorcyclist dies after multi-vehicle collision on TPE Opinion Confessions of a born-again Singaporean Singapore Singapore congratulates Indonesia on 80th Independence Day 'Nature is testing us all,' Mr Modi said, adding that state and federal government are working together on rescue operations, relief efforts, and rehabilitation work. BLOOMBERG

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store