Miami: Hurricane Earl churned toward the
south-eastern Caribbean today after reaching Category One
status, as Hurricane Danielle headed for the cold waters of
the north Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center said.
At 1230 GMT Hurricane Earl was packing winds of 120
kilometers per hour, the Miami-based NHC said.
The eye of Earl was located about 585 kilometers east of
the Northern Leeward Islands heading west at 30 km per hour.
A tropical storm watch was already in effect for several
eastern Caribbean islands including Saint Martin, Antigua,
Barbuda and Montserrat.
"Hurricane conditions are expected within the warning
area beginning within 24 hours," the NHC said. "Preparations
to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."
On the forecast track, Earl will pass over the Northern
Leeward Islands late today and curve in a northwesterly
direction, slamming Barbuda, Saint Thomas and the Virgin
Islands tomorrow.
The storm is forecast to skirt northeast of Puerto Rico,
the island of Hispaniola -- where Haiti and the Dominican
Republic are located -- and Cuba in the following days. Strong
wind and heavy rain from the storm however are likely to cause
disruption as it passes by.
Current forecast models have the storm reaching 970
kilometers east of the North Carolina on the eastern US
coastline early Friday, but it is unclear if it will make
landfall.
Meanwhile Hurricane Danielle, which never made landfall
but reached Category Four strength on Friday, continued to
weaken as it sailed towards the open waters of the north
Atlantic.
PTI
First Published: Monday, August 30, 2010, 00:02