Hurricane Dorian Strengthens to Category 5 as It Closes in on the Bahamas. Here ’s the Latest Track and Forecast

Hurricane Dorian has officially been upgraded to a “catastrophic” Category 5 storm. The National Hurricane Center confirmed the upgrade Sunday morning as the storm closes in on parts of the Bahamas, noting that “the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian should be moving over Great Abaco soon, and continue near or over Grand Bahama Island later tonight and Monday. The hurricane should move closer to the Florida east coast late Monday through Tuesday night.” Maximum sustained winds increased to near 160 mph, with higher gusts. “Some fluctuations in intensity are likely, but Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next few days,” the National Hurricane Center said in its update issued at 8 a.m. ET. Sunday. Category 5 is the highest category for a hurricane, with winds of 157 mph or higher. As TIME has previously reported, a Category 5 hurricane is likely to uproot most trees and ruin most power poles. And like with Category 4 hurricanes, power outages will likely last for weeks to months. People should expect long-term water shortages. Officials also warned of “life-threatening” storm surge and flash floods. The National Hurricane Center said Sunday it predicts northwestern Bahamas will be pelted with between 12 to 24 inches of rain, with 30 inches in isolated areas. The storm surge is expected “to raise water levels by as much as 15 to 20 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds on...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Florida onetime Puerto Rico weather Source Type: news