Latest news with #NationalHurricaneCentre
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Telegraph
Hurricane Erin set to bring life-threatening waves to US East Coast
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect in parts of North Carolina as the US East Coast braces for life-threatening rip currents from Hurricane Erin. The Category 4 hurricane pelted parts of the Caribbean with 130mph winds on Monday as it moved north west, according to the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami. The intense storm, which reached Category 5 on Saturday, was forecast to gain strength before gradually weakening, but it is expected to remain a major hurricane into midweek. At 5am on Monday the storm was around 105 miles north-northeast of Grand Turk Island and about 915 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. While Erin is not expected to make landfall on the islands, it is expected to bring rainfall of up to six inches to the Turks and Caicos and the eastern Bahamas. Dare County, North Carolina, declared an emergency and ordered an evacuation of Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks, the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that juts far into the Atlantic. Several days of heavy surf and high winds and waves could wash out parts of North Carolina's Highway 12, which links the state's barrier islands, the National Weather Service said. Rough ocean conditions were forecast for parts of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos. Life-threatening surf and rip currents were forecast into midweek for the Bahamas, Bermuda, the US East Coast and Canada's Atlantic coast as Erin turns north and then north-east. The Bahamas government issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the central Bahamas, while Tropical Storm Warnings are in place for Turks and Caicos Islands and south-east Bahamas. 'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' Richard Pasch of the National Hurricane Centre said. On Sunday Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were battered with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds, cutting off power to some 147,000 customers. More than 20 flights were cancelled because of the weather, but as winds and rains decreased the coastguard allowed all ports in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to reopen Sunday.
Daily Record
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
Met Office Storm Erin update as Scots to face 'thundery showers and strong winds'
The tropical storm is to affect UK weather towards the end of the month. According to a new update from the Met Office, Storm Erin may affect weather the UK in the latter part of the month, bringing intense winds and heavy rain. The tropical storm has been wreaking havoc in Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa, where nine people have died due to the impact of flash flooding. Authorities had to declare a state of emergency on the São Vicente and Santo Antão islands after the storm caused extreme damage and cars were swept away by floodwater. Around 1,500 were reportedly forced to evacuate their homes. People are being warned by the National Hurricane Centre that Storm Erin is expected to reach the Leeward Islands, Bermuda or the east coast of the US- but its impact may also bring around an abrupt end to the current heatwave in the UK. Scots have been seeing scorching temperatures lately, with the Met Office even predicting highs of 30C in some areas last Wednesday, August 13. After an equally piping weekend of sun and blue skies, this week is to bring plenty more pleasant weather, with the mercury hovering in the mid to high teens in the coming days. But Storm Erin may change everything towards the end of this month, with the Met Office warning of the tropical system's impact on the UK, reports Manchester Evening News. Analysing the long-range forecast between Tuesday, August 19, and Thursday, August 28, a Met Office spokesperson said: 'The details during this period carry low confidence. "High pressure will probably be increasingly displaced to the north through the first part of this period, allowing areas of low pressure to potentially make inroads from the Atlantic. 'This brings an increasing possibility of stronger winds and rain, some of which could be heavy and thundery, especially for southern and western areas, but this perhaps becoming more widespread with time. "Overall, temperatures look to remain above average, with the potential for some further hot spells, especially in the south. "One of the determining factors of the forecast through this period will be the behaviour of what is currently Tropical Storm Erin as it progresses into the North Atlantic; this being a quite typical source of uncertainty in late summer." They added: 'Beyond Monday, the forecast becomes more uncertain, largely due to developments in the Atlantic. "Tropical storm Erin is currently moving towards the United States, and its eventual path could influence UK weather." However, the impact of Erin on the UK is not certain yet, as tropical storms can have different consequences for UK weather. The Met Office spokesperson continued: 'It's not uncommon for tropical systems at this time of year to be picked up by the jet stream. Recent examples include Storm Floris and ex-tropical storm Dexter. The impact on the UK depends on where these systems sit relative to the jet stream, on the cooler, low-pressure side. "They can bring wet and windy weather; on the warmer, high-pressure side, they may remain offshore and contribute to warmer conditions. Sometimes the jet stream flows in a relatively straight path, much like a fast-moving river. "At other times, it meanders and loops, slowing down the movement of weather systems and making their paths less predictable. These meanders can lead to prolonged periods of wet or dry weather, depending on where the jet stream is positioned." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin forecast to create life-threatening waves along US east coast
Hurricane Erin began pelting parts of the Caribbean with rain and wind before it is expected to churn up dangerous waves and rip currents along the US east coast. Evacuations were being ordered on islands along North Carolina's outer banks even though the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall. Authorities warned that some roads could be swamped by waves of 15 feet (4.6 metres). The monster storm intensified to a category four with 140 mph maximum sustained winds early on Monday while it started to lash the Turks and Caicos Islands and the south-east Bahamas, according to the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami. Forecasters are confident that Erin will turn north east and away from the eastern US, but it is still expected to produce dangerous waves and rip currents and could bring tropical force winds to North Carolina coast, said Dave Roberts of the centre. Evacuations were ordered on Monday on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands on the outer banks, coming at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of low-lying barrier islands that juts far into the Atlantic Ocean. Coastal flooding was expected to begin on Tuesday and continue through Thursday. There are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds and waves could wash out parts of the main highway running along the barrier islands, the National Weather Service said. Some routes could be impassible for several days, authorities warned. But there were no signs of panic on Hatteras Island, said Angela Tawes, a co-owner of Conner's Supermarket. 'It's so beautiful outside. It's hard for people to feel like there's a hurricane coming when it's so gorgeous,' she said. Erin, the year's first Atlantic hurricane, reached a dangerous category five status on Saturday with 160 mph (260 kph) winds before weakening. It is expected to remain a large, major hurricane into the middle of the week. 'You're dealing with a major hurricane. The intensity is fluctuating. It's a dangerous hurricane in any event,' the hurricane centre's Richard Pasch said. Early on Monday, the storm was located about 110 miles (180 kilometres) north of Grand Turk Island and about 880 miles (1,400 kilometres) south-east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the south east Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the hurricane centre said. Erin's outer bands hit parts of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and tropical-storm winds on Sunday. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapour and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly.
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Storm Erin update from Met Office as weather system barrels towards UK
Forecasters have warned hot weather could come to an abrupt halt, with Storm Erin expected to lash Britain with intense gales and sheets of rain as it continues to intensify in the Atlantic Ocean The Met Office has sounded the alarm over Storm Erin, warning that Britain is braced for violent winds and heavy rain as the nation's sweltering heatwave comes to an end. After a week of dazzling sunshine that saw beaches packed and thermometers soaring, the weather is set to take a major turn. It comes after London sizzled at a scorching 33.4C on Tuesday, August 12 - and even as cooler air crept in towards the weekend, the south-west of England still sweltered at 30C on Saturday, August 16. But as Storm Erin intensifies in the Atlantic Ocean, Britain is bracing for the chaos to cross the pond. The system has already left destruction in its wake, striking the Cape Verde islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão, where a state of emergency was declared after ferocious winds and torrents of rain tore through communities. Around 1,500 people were forced to flee their homes, and nine lives were lost in the chaos. The National Hurricane Centre has warned that Erin is now racing across the Atlantic, with the potential to strike the Leeward Islands, Bermuda, or even the east coast of the United States. According to the Met Office, the UK is firmly in its path, Manchester Evening News reports. Forecasters say that in the latter part of the month, Storm Erin is expected to lash Britain with intense gales and sheets of rain. Analysing the long-range forecast between Tuesday, August 19, and Thursday, August 28, a Met Office spokesperson said: "The details during this period carry low confidence. High pressure will probably be increasingly displaced to the north through the first part of this period, allowing areas of low pressure to potentially make inroads from the Atlantic. "This brings an increasing possibility of stronger winds and rain, some of which could be heavy and thundery, especially for southern and western areas, but this perhaps becoming more widespread with time. "Overall, temperatures look to remain above average, with the potential for some further hot spells, especially in the south. One of the determining factors of the forecast through this period will be the behaviour of what is currently Tropical Storm Erin as it progresses into the North Atlantic; this being a quite typical source of uncertainty in late summer." The forecaster warned that conditions will be more uncertain beyond Monday, largely due to developments in the Atlantic. "Tropical storm Erin is currently moving towards the United States, and its eventual path could influence UK weather," it said. "It's not uncommon for tropical systems at this time of year to be picked up by the jet stream. Recent examples include Storm Floris and ex-tropical storm Dexter. The impact on the UK depends on where these systems sit relative to the jet stream, on the cooler, low-pressure side. "They can bring wet and windy weather; on the warmer, high-pressure side, they may remain offshore and contribute to warmer conditions. Sometimes the jet stream flows in a relatively straight path, much like a fast-moving river. At other times, it meanders and loops, slowing down the movement of weather systems and making their paths less predictable. These meanders can lead to prolonged periods of wet or dry weather, depending on where the jet stream is positioned."
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.
