Hurricane Erin threatens Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands with flooding

Heavy rains are forecast to commencement with the tempest expected to go a large Category 3 tempest implicit the weekend.

Hurricane Erin has formed successful the Atlantic Ocean arsenic it approaches the northeast Caribbean, arsenic forecasters pass of imaginable flooding and landslides successful Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The tempest is expected to stay implicit unfastened waters, though tropical tempest watches were issued for Anguilla and Barbuda, St Martin and St Barts, Saba and St Eustatius and St Maarten.

Heavy rains were forecast to commencement precocious connected Friday successful Antigua and Barbuda, the US and British Virgin Islands, and confederate and eastbound Puerto Rico. Up to 10cm (four inches) are expected, with isolated totals of up to 15cm (six inches), according to the National Hurricane Center successful Miami.

Forecasters besides warned of unsafe swells.

The tempest was located astir 835km (520 miles) eastbound of the Northern Leeward Islands. It had maximum sustained winds of 110km/h (70mph) and was moving west-northwest astatine 28km/h (17mph).

Erin is forecast to go a large Category 3 tempest precocious this weekend.

The hurricane centre noted that “there is inactive uncertainty astir what impacts Erin whitethorn bring to portions of the Bahamas, the eastbound seashore of the United States, and Bermuda successful the agelong range.”

Fifth named storm

Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected to impact the US East Coast adjacent week, with waves reaching up to 5 metres (16.4 feet) on parts of the North Carolina seashore that could origin formation erosion, according to Accuweather.

“Erin is forecast to detonate into a almighty Category 4 hurricane arsenic it moves crossed precise lukewarm waters successful the unfastened Atlantic. Water temperatures astatine the aboveground and hundreds of feet heavy are respective degrees higher than the humanities average,” Alex DaSilva, Accuweather’s pb hurricane expert, was quoted by The Associated Press quality agency.

Erin is the 5th named tempest of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

This year’s play is erstwhile again expected to beryllium unusually engaged and perchance perilous. The forecast calls for six to 10 hurricanes, with 3 to 5 reaching large presumption with winds of much than 177km/h (110mph).