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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Hurricane Erin intensifies to category 4 as it nears Caribbean
Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday (August 16, 2025) and continues to intensify, the National Hurricane Centre said. The storm is currently 240 kilometres northeast of Anguilla with maximum sustained winds of 230 kph. It is moving west-northwest at 31 kph. It is currently not forecast to hit land, but strong winds are affecting nearby islands, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding, landslides and mudslides. The Hurricane Centre said it will eventually swerve away from the continental United States. Tropical storm watches are in place for St Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten. 'The outer bands of Erin are expected to produce areas of heavy rainfall through Sunday (August 17, 2025) across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico,' the centre said. The currently 'compact' storm is expected to grow in size in the coming days, resulting in rough ocean waters over the western Atlantic. Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a path between the U.S. and Bermuda. 'All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it'll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin,' he said. Protruding U.S. coastal areas — such as North Carolina's Outer Banks, Long Island, New York, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts — face a higher risk of direct and potentially severe tropical storm or hurricane conditions than much of the southern Atlantic, mid-Atlantic and northern New England coasts, Accuweather said. Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, but the first to reach hurricane status. This year's season is once again expected to be unusually busy. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 177 kph. The U.S. Government has deployed more than 200 employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precaution as forecasters issued a flood watch for the entire U.S. territory from late Friday into Monday. Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Ciary Perez Pena said 367 shelters have been inspected and could be opened if needed. The U.S. Coast Guard said Friday (August 16, 2025) that it closed six seaports in Puerto Rico and two in the US Virgin Islands to all incoming vessels unless they had received prior authorisation. Meanwhile, officials in the Bahamas said they prepared some public shelters as a precaution as they urged people to track the hurricane. 'These storms are very volatile and can make sudden shifts in movement,' said Aarone Sargent, managing director for the Bahamas' disaster risk management authority.
News18
2 days ago
- Climate
- News18
Erin becomes Category 4 hurricane in Caribbean as region braces for flooding
San Juan (Puerto Rico), Aug 16 (AP) Erin strengthened into a powerful Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean on Saturday and continues to intensify, the National Hurricane Centre said. The storm is currently 240 kilometres northeast of Anguilla with maximum sustained winds of 230 kph. It is moving west-northwest at 31 kph. It is currently not forecast to hit land, but strong winds are affecting nearby islands, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding, landslides and mudslides. The Hurricane Centre said it will eventually swerve away from the continental United States. Tropical storm watches are in place for St Martin, St Barts and St Maarten. 'The outer bands of Erin are expected to produce areas of heavy rainfall through Sunday across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico," the centre said. The currently 'compact" storm is expected to grow in size in the coming days, resulting in rough ocean waters over the western Atlantic. Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a path between the US and Bermuda. 'All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it'll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin," he said. Protruding US coastal areas — such as North Carolina's Outer Banks, Long Island, New York, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts — face a higher risk of direct and potentially severe tropical storm or hurricane conditions than much of the southern Atlantic, mid-Atlantic and northern New England coasts, Accuweather said. Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, but the first to reach hurricane status. This year's season is once again expected to be unusually busy. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 177 kph. The US government has deployed more than 200 employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precaution as forecasters issued a flood watch for the entire US territory from late Friday into Monday. Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Ciary Perez Pena said 367 shelters have been inspected and could be opened if needed. The US Coast Guard said Friday that it closed six seaports in Puerto Rico and two in the US Virgin Islands to all incoming vessels unless they had received prior authorisation. Meanwhile, officials in the Bahamas said they prepared some public shelters as a precaution as they urged people to track the hurricane. 'These storms are very volatile and can make sudden shifts in movement," said Aarone Sargent, managing director for the Bahamas' disaster risk management authority. (AP) NPK NPK view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
2 days ago
- Climate
- News18
Hurricane Erin Can Reach Category 4 Strength By Sunday, Dangerous Seas And Flood Threat Loom
Hurricane Erin is expected to become a major storm by Sunday, reaching Category 4 strength and posing risks to the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands Hurricane Erin, which formed in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this week, has intensified at an alarming pace and is expected to become a major storm within days. The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said in a late Friday night advisory that the system could escalate from Category 2 to Category 4 strength by Sunday. By 8 pm Friday, Erin's winds were clocked at 85 miles per hour (137 kph). Just three hours later, maximum sustained speeds had surged to 100 mph (160 kph). The storm is currently tracking north of the Leeward Islands, raising the risk of tropical storm conditions for territories including Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten within the next 24 hours. The NHC forecast shows Erin passing very close to the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico over the weekend. Turks and Caicos and the south-eastern Bahamas have also been urged to remain vigilant. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands could see up to 4 inches of rain, with isolated totals of 6 inches possible, accompanied by gusts up to 50 mph and potential landslides. The NHC has warned of dangerous swells and strong currents, though the risk of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the US East Coast 'appears to be gradually decreasing". As of the 11 pm EDT advisory, Erin was located about 405 kilometres northeast of Anguilla, moving west-northwest at 27 kph. Hurricane specialist Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast, tracking between the US and Bermuda. 'All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it'll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin," he noted. The storm, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, is expected to reach Category 3 strength late this weekend and pass roughly 320 kilometres north of Puerto Rico. The US government has deployed over 200 Federal Emergency Management Agency and other personnel to the island as a precaution. A flood watch is in effect for the entire US territory through Monday. Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Ciary Perez Pena said 367 shelters have been inspected and could be opened if needed. The US Coast Guard has already closed six seaports in Puerto Rico and two in the US Virgin Islands to most vessels without prior authorisation. In the Bahamas, officials have prepared public shelters and urged residents to closely monitor the storm's progress. 'These storms are very volatile and can make sudden shifts in movement," warned Aarone Sargent, managing director of the country's disaster risk management authority. Along the US East Coast, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected next week, with waves potentially reaching 15 feet in parts of North Carolina, which could cause significant beach erosion, according to Accuweather. 'Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are several degrees higher than the historical average," said Alex DaSilva, Accuweather's lead hurricane expert. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Erin is the fifth named storm of the year, in what forecasters say will be an unusually active season. NOAA projects 13 to 18 named storms this year, with 5 to 9 becoming hurricanes — 3 to 5 of them potentially reaching major status. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
News18
3 days ago
- Climate
- News18
Heavy rains expected in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands as Hurricane Erin nears
Agency: PTI Last Updated: San Juan (Puerto Rico), Aug 16 (AP) Hurricane Erin strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Friday as it approached the northeast Caribbean, prompting forecasters to warn of possible flooding and landslides. The storm is expected to remain over open waters, although tropical storm watches were issued for Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Martin, St. Barts, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten. Heavy rains were forecast to start late Friday in Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands and southern and eastern Puerto Rico. Up to 4 inches are expected, with isolated totals of up to 6 inches, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami. The hurricane centre also warned of dangerous swells but said the threat of direct impacts in the Bahamas and along the east coast of the United States 'appears to be gradually decreasing." The storm was located 405 kilometres northeast of Anguilla as of the hurricane centre's 11 pm EDT advisory. It had maximum sustained wind speeds of 160 kph and was moving west north-west at 27 kph. Hurricane specialist and storm surge expert Michael Lowry said Erin is forecast to eventually take a sharp turn northeast that would put it on a path between the US and Bermuda. 'All of our best consensus aids show Erin turning safely east of the United States next week, but it'll be a much closer call for Bermuda, which could land on the stronger eastern side of Erin," he said. Erin is the Atlantic season's first hurricane. It is forecast to become a major Category 3 storm late this weekend and pass some 320 kilometres north of Puerto Rico. The US government has deployed more than 200 employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to Puerto Rico as a precaution as forecasters issued a flood watch for the entire US territory from late Friday into Monday. Puerto Rico Housing Secretary Ciary Perez Pena said 367 shelters have been inspected and could be opened if needed. The US Coast Guard said Friday that it closed six seaports in Puerto Rico and two in the US Virgin Islands to all incoming vessels unless they had received prior authorisation. Meanwhile, officials in the Bahamas said they prepared some public shelters as a precaution as they urged people to track the hurricane. 'These storms are very volatile and can make sudden shifts in movement," said Aarone Sargent, managing director for the Bahamas' disaster risk management authority. Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to affect the US East Coast next week, with waves reaching up to 15 feet along parts of the North Carolina coast that could cause beach erosion, according to Accuweather. 'Erin is forecast to explode into a powerful Category 4 hurricane as it moves across very warm waters in the open Atlantic. Water temperatures at the surface and hundreds of feet deep are several degrees higher than the historical average," said Alex DaSilva, Accuweather's lead hurricane expert. Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. This year's season is once again expected to be unusually busy. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with three to five reaching major status with winds of more than 177 kph. (AP) GRS GRS view comments First Published: News agency-feeds Heavy rains expected in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands as Hurricane Erin nears Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
