القسم :
Al-Haqeqa in English
نشر بتاريخ :
21/09/2017
توقيت عمان - القدس
2:20:20 PM
After striking Puerto Rico earlier, Hurricane Maria is approaching the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night and last through Thursday as a Category 3 storm, the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.
In its 2 a.m. advisory, the NHC said the center was 55 miles north of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and 235 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island. Maximum sustained winds were 115 mph and the storm is heading northwest at 9 mph.
A turn toward the north-northwest is expected on Friday
"On the forecast track, the core of Hurricane Maria will continue to move away from Puerto Rico during the next several hours, and then pass offshore of the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic early Thursday," the NHC said Wednesday night. "Maria should then move near the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas Thursday night and Friday."
The storm was a Category 4 with 155 mph winds when it hit Puerto Rico earlier in the day. In all, 20 to 25 inches of rain and 35 inches in isolated areas was expected, the NHC said.
Maria is forecast to hit near the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas on Thursday night and Friday.
Hurricane warnings have been discontinued for Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
They remain for Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Puerto Plata, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas.
A hurricane watch is in effect for the Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Cabo Engano.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds are outward up to 150 miles.
Rainfall on many of the islands could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, forecasters said.
"A dangerous storm surge accompanied by large and destructive waves will raise water levels by as much as 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels in the hurricane warning area in the Dominican Republic, and 1 to 3 feet elsewhere along the northern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti," the NHC said.
UPI