Hurricane Irma could be ‘catastrophic’ for Caribbean, forecasters warn

[lastupdated]

People living in the eastern Caribbean should begin making preparations for the effects of Hurricane Irma, urged government organisations and forecasters in the region.

The hurricane is expected to remain a powerful storm over the weekend as it travels northwest over the Atlantic, with indications it could be at its strongest from Tuesday.

This is the same time it could reach the Lesser Antilles.

The latest update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami locates the disturbance at around 1,680 miles (2,680km) east from the Leeward Islands and 840 miles (1,350 km) west of the Cabo Verde islands near West Africa.

It is currently a category 3 hurricane, but with winds just below the 130mph threshold for category 4 there is a chance it will be upgraded.

Irma gathered strength quickly, rising to hurricane status less than 24 hours after forming as a tropical storm.

A press release from the Office of Disaster Management in Dominica said that although the island is days from being hit, and that their are uncertainties in projections, people are “warned to complete all preparations and continue to closely monitor the progress of Irma.”

“Irma is expected to strengthen to a ‘major hurricane’ by then, making it an extremely dangerous Atlantic hurricane. The impacts could be catastrophic,” the statement read.

No respite

The latest UK Met Office storm track shows that Irma could near the Caribbean and start to curve towards the USA by Thursday, 7 September.

A spokesman for the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Office urged vigilance.

“At this time residents should be concerned but not worried as the system is still far away. A number of things could happen over the next few days, including weakening or the system turning away from the area,” said Dale Destin, acting deputy director.

“But we are asking residents to monitor the storm and be prepared.”