Hurricane Irene strengthens as it steams towards US Skip to main content

Hurricane Irene strengthens as it steams towards US

Hurricane Irene satellite image
Hurricane Irene approaches the Bahamas on this Nasa satellite shot taken on 23 August. Photograph: Nasa/Reuters
 
East coast US residents are bracing for a direct hit from Hurricane Irene as the storm gathers pace and strength after roaring through the Caribbean.

Irene regained force as a Category 2 storm, with top winds of 100 mph, the US National Hurricane Center said.

"Irene could become a major hurricane within the next day or so," it said.

Even as the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season pounded the Turks and Caicos Islands and the south-east Bahamas with winds, rain and a dangerous storm surge, people in the Carolinas on the south-eastern US coast were readying for its approach.

At 2am local time, Irene was about 400 miles south-east of Nassau and about 975 miles south of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.

Irene, the ninth named storm of the June-through-November season, looks set to be the first hurricane to hit the US since Hurricane Ike pounded the Texas coast in 2008. But forecasts showed it posing no threat to oil and gas installations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Irene had weakened on Tuesday to a Category 1 hurricane but could strengthen into a Category 3 storm with winds over 111mph.

The storm is forecast to approach the coast of the Carolinas on Saturday morning. After that, the already saturated New England region could be at risk from torrential rains, high winds and flooding.

Major eastern cities such as Washington and New York could be affected.

In North Carolina, Governor Bev Perdue urged residents to ensure they had three days worth of food, water and supplies.

Voluntary evacuations were to begin on Wednesday for parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks, a stretch of barrier islands and beaches that are popular summer holiday spots.

The first death from the storm was reported on Tuesday in Puerto Rico, where a woman was swept away.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/24/hurricane-irene-strengthens-towards-us
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...
1 comment
Read more

Ancient Rakhine City of Mrauk-U Proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Irrawaddy YANGON—Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture submitted the final draft of its nomination for Mrauk-U to become a World Heritage Site to UNESCO on Monday, four months after the ministry submitted the first draft of its nomination in September 2019. If the application succeeds, Mrauk-U will be the third place in Myanmar to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after the ancient cities of Bagan and Pyu. Mrauk-U is located in northern Rakhine State, around 60 km from the state capital of Sittwe. The ancient city was the seat of Arakanese kings from the 1400s until the late 1700s. At the height of their power, they controlled an area covering large parts of eastern Bengal, modern-day Rakhine State and the western part of central Myanmar. Much of the city’s remains are well-preserved and some 380 historic temples are scattered between the lush hills of northern Rakhine. Mrauk-U Heritage Trust chairwoman Daw Khin Than told The Irrawaddy on Tue...
1 comment
Read more

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...
Post a Comment
Read more