Hurricane intensifies to category 4 storm with strong winds and heavy rain expected to cause flooding and landslides
Hurricane intensifies to category 4 storm with strong winds and heavy rain expected to cause flooding and landslides
Hurricane Erin has intensified into a category 5 storm as it churns its way over the Atlantic, brushing past islands in the north-east Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC), in Miami, said on Saturday that Erin – which it described as “catastrophic” – was still not expected to hit land in the US and would swerve away, but forecasters have warned that strong winds and heavy rain could cause flooding and landslides on nearby islands.
At the time of publication, the storm was 105 miles (170km) north-east of Anguilla, recording maximum wind speeds of 160mph (255km/h). It was moving west at 17mph (27km/h) and was expected to pass near the Leeward Islands on Saturday, bringing 2-4in (5-10cm) of rain to some areas, with up to 6in (15cm) in the heaviest downpours.
The storm’s outer bands of rain were beginning to affect some islands, and more rain was expected on Sunday, NHC forecasters said.
