Hurricane Ike by Alex Deakin
Hurricane Ike slammed into the Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday lashing them with torrential rain and howling strong winds.
Ike deepened across the western Atlantic and became a category four hurricane as it made landfall on the islands. Winds reached speeds of 140 mph (225 km/h), ripping roofs off houses and causing flash flooding. Before Hurricane Ike arrived, thousands of tourists and residents were evacuated from the usually tranquil islands and the airport in Providenciales was closed.
The National Hurricane Center expects Ike to continue on a westerly course at around 15 mph (24 km/h) towards eastern Cuba later today with the southeastern Bahamas also taking a battering. Cuba is still recovering from devastating Hurricane Gustav, which hit western parts, including the Island of Youth as a category four storm. Days after Tropical Storm Hanna hit Haiti; the approach of Ike raises fears of torrential rain and strong winds, and the increased risk of damaging floods.
After hitting Cuba, the National Hurricane Center predict that Ike will move into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico where it could strengthen further before heading towards either the US coast or Mexico.
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