Latest news with #LeewardIslands
Sky News
2 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Hurricane Erin reaches wind speeds of up to 160mph near Caribbean
A hurricane making its way past the Caribbean Sea has quickly turned into a major storm, after rapidly strengthening in just 24 hours. Hurricane Erin - the first of the 2025 Atlantic season - raced from maximum sustained winds of 100mph (160kph) to heights of 160mph (255kph), before weakening slightly to 140mph (220kph). This means it has gone from a Category 5 to a Category 4 storm, which still carries a warning of potential "catastrophic damage", according to the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC). Erin gained power as it began moving westward past the Leeward Islands - which include Anguilla, Guadaloupe, and the Virgin Islands - on Saturday. Later in the evening, the centre reported that the storm was "undergoing structural changes" but was still "formidable" as its rain and winds buffeted Puerto Rico. While the hurricane is not forecast to make landfall, it is expected to "produce life-threatening surf and rip currents" as it turns northward next week. Beaches in the Bahamas, much of the east coast of the United States and even Atlantic Canada will be affected, the NHC said. 1:01 Protruding US coastal areas - such as Long Island, New York and Cape Cod - face a higher risk of potentially severe tropical storm or hurricane conditions, AccuWeather has said. The hurricane's impact is already being felt on multiple islands, with tropical storm watches issued for some Caribbean islands, including St Barts and St Maarten. The NHC has warned heavy rain could cause flash flooding, landslides and mudslides, saying Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands could be affected on Sunday. The US government deployed more than 200 workers, including employees from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to Puerto Rico as a precaution when a flood watch for the territory was issued earlier this week. With hurricane-force winds extending 30 miles from its centre, Erin is considered compact in size. It should begin to slowly weaken on Monday but will remain a major hurricane until late next week, the NHC said. Storms that ramp up so quickly complicate forecasting and make it harder for government agencies to plan for emergencies. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean to climate change, as global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapour and spiking ocean temperatures. The warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to strengthen quickly and unleash more rain. Erin is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on 1 June and runs until 30 November. It is the first to become a hurricane.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Japan Times
Hurricane Erin intensifies offshore, lashes Caribbean with rain
Hurricane Erin rapidly strengthened offshore to a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm on Saturday, as rain lashed Caribbean islands and weather officials warned of possible flash floods and landslides. 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 U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest report the storm's maximum sustained winds had increased to 255 kilometers per hour. It was located about 215 kilometers northwest of Anguilla in the northern Leeward Islands, an area that includes the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. A flash flood warning was issued for Saint Thomas and Saint John in the U.S. Virgin Islands as outer rain bands from Erin swept across, according to the U.S. 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 wind speeds above above 157 miles per hour (253 kph). 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 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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, U.S. 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 U.S. 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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin intensifies offshore, lashes Caribbean with rain
Hurricane Erin rapidly strengthened offshore to a "catastrophic" Category 5 storm on Saturday, as rain lashed Caribbean islands and weather officials warned of possible flash floods and landslides. 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. bur-mlm/dl/des
France 24
2 days ago
- Climate
- 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.
CNA
2 days ago
- Climate
- CNA
Erin strengthens to a Category 5 hurricane, NHC says
Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, has become a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center said on Saturday (Aug 16). The storm is currently 170 km north of Anguilla, with maximum sustained winds near 255 km/h. The NHC said on Friday that Erin is expected to strengthen over the southwestern Atlantic through the weekend and into next week. 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, the NHC said earlier on Saturday. The swells will spread to the Bahamas, Bermuda and the East Coast of the United States early next week, it said. Erin has also raised concerns about another unforeseen risk, wildfires. Andrew Siffert, a senior meteorologist at BMS Group, noted that if Erin evolves into a large, intense extratropical cyclone offshore, a dangerous alignment could occur, critically dry fuels across the region, strong and dry winds driven by Erin's pressure gradient and human ignition sources. ILS investment manager Twelve Securis said on Friday that Erin is forecast to remain far enough offshore to spare the US East Coast from significant impacts. The storm is projected to pass north of the northern Caribbean Leeward Islands before turning north between the US East Coast and Bermuda around Monday.
