Hurricane Dean hits the Caribbean by Rob McElwee
The first Atlantic hurricane of the season, ‘Dean’, reached the Lesser Antilles islands of the Caribbean this morning packing average winds of 100mph (160kph), and much stronger gusts. The eye of the hurricane directly hit Martinique, where the strong winds were felt, although the effects of the storm were felt across the eastern Caribbean.
In Martinique, airports have been closed and tourists have been moved to nearby shelters in order to protect themselves from the effects of the storm. Forecasters at the National Hurricane centre in Miami predict that by the time the hurricane has passed over the islands, it could have delivered up to 7 inches (18cm) of rainfall, and created flood surges of up to 4 ft (1.2m) above the normal tidal levels.
Dean is at present a Category 2 hurricane, but forecasters expect it to strengthen over the next few days into a dangerous Category 4 as it travels over the warm waters of the Caribbean towards Jamaica. Further warnings have now been issued for Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
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