Leeward IslandsLeeward Islands should monitor Bill’s progress, though the core of the dangerous storm is expected to pass well to the northeast of the islands late Wednesday and early Thursday.Bill is centered about 460 miles east of the Leeward Islands and moving west-northwest near 16 mph. And forecasters say some additional strengthening is expected by the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. MIAMI — Hurricane Bill has strengthened to a Category 4 storm as it rumbles across the Atlantic with maximum sustained winds near 135 mph.
Hurricane Bill - the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season - has strengthened into a Category 4 storm, experts have said. Its maximum sustained winds were rushing at about 135mph (215kmh), the US National Hurricane Centre went on. At 9am GMT, Bill's centre was about 460 miles (740km) east of the Leeward Islands and moving west-north west at 16mph (26 kmh). "A gradual turn toward the north west is expected during the next 24 to 48 hours," forecasters added. The track projected for the hurricane will take it "well to the north east" of the string of Caribbean islands.
The Miami-based centre said a hurricane hunter plane was en route to the storm to take further readings. Large swells associated with Bill will begin to hit the south eastern US mainland on Friday and Saturday, forecasters added. Elsewhere, the tropical depression that had once been Tropical Storm Claudette was dissipating across southern America. It blew up in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday and lashed Florida resorts with strong winds and heavy rain, but weakened Monday to a depression. The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on November 30.
No comments:
Post a Comment