World News | Puerto Rico Cancels Classes, Activates National Guard as Tropical Storm Ernesto Approaches
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Puerto Rico activated the National Guard and cancelled the start of classes in public schools as forecasters warned that the US territory would be hit by Tropical Storm Ernesto, which formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
San Juan (US), Aug 13 (AP) Puerto Rico activated the National Guard and cancelled the start of classes in public schools as forecasters warned that the US territory would be hit by Tropical Storm Ernesto, which formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect for Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barts and St. Maarten.
The storm was located about 295 miles (475 kilometres) off Antigua. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 28 mph (44 kph). Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Officials in the French Caribbean said the storm was expected to drench Guadeloupe on Monday and pass near St. Barts and St. Martin. The National Hurricane Center said Ernesto is forecast to approach Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands on Tuesday evening.
Forecasters warned the storm is expected to unleash floods and landslides.
“We cannot let our guard down,” Nino Correa, Puerto Rico's emergency management commissioner, said at a news conference.
Ernesto Morales, with the National Weather Service in San Juan, said between six to eight inches of rain are expected, with higher amounts in isolated areas. He also warned of hurricane-strength wind gusts as the storm is expected to hit northeast Puerto Rico and move across the US territory late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
He urged people to prepare and stay alert given ongoing uncertainties over the approaching system.
“This trajectory is not written in stone and will be changing,” he said.
In the neighbouring US Virgin Islands, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. urged people to take the storm seriously.
“This is a practice run to make sure we're really prepared,” he said, noting that the peak of hurricane season is yet to come.
Ernesto is expected to become a hurricane early Thursday as it turns north toward Bermuda, with some forecasters warning it could strengthen into a major Category 3 storm.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record warm ocean temperatures. It forecasted 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)