Residents in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos braced themselves on Monday as Hurricane Erin, the first of the Atlantic season, passed nearby as a Category 4 storm, with winds of 225 kph.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Erin could strengthen further as it sweeps by the islands and is expected to remain a major hurricane through midweek. While not forecast to make direct landfall, the storm’s size is fuelling dangerous seas and prompting evacuation orders on the U.S. East Coast.
AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski described Erin as one of the fastest-strengthening storms on record, intensifying from a tropical storm to a Category 5 in just over a day. It briefly reached that level on Saturday before weakening slightly. This marks the fourth consecutive Atlantic season with at least one Category 5 hurricane.
In Turks and Caicos, public services were suspended and residents in exposed areas were told to be ready to evacuate the area. The Bahamas’ meteorology department warned of extremely rough seas, urging vessels to stay in port.
Kate Williamson, a Bahamian district administrator, said residents of the small island of Long Cay should move to the mainland. "People should finalise their preparations," she told local media.
Although Erin’s eye is expected to stay offshore, the NHC warned that tropical storm conditions and flooding could affect North Carolina’s Outer Banks by late Wednesday. Waves as high as six metres and dangerous rip currents are forecast.
Authorities in Dare and Hyde counties ordered evacuations for residents and tourists on the barrier islands of Hatteras and Ocracoke. The U.S. National Park Service said the Outer Banks usually attracts 2.7 million visitors each year.
Local innkeepers are taking different approaches. On Hatteras Island, hotel owner Holly Andrzejewski said she and her family would remain.
"Visitors are supposed to leave today and residents tomorrow, but we’re staying. We want to safeguard our property," she said.
On nearby Roanoke Island, innkeeper Lee Brickhouse said some guests were rescheduling. "We’re just holding our breath that the worst won’t happen," he told Reuters.
As global diplomatic dynamics continue to evolve, the European Union is reassessing its ability to respond effectively to major international developm...
U.S. forces say they have completed strikes on Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile attacks on an American b...
Azerbaijan is considering new restrictions on children's use of social media, including a minimum registration age of 16 and fines for platforms that ...
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be one of a kind when it kicks off on 11 June, as it brings with it a slew of firsts ahead of co-hosts Mexico takin...
Da Afghanistan Bank, the country's central bank, has discussed expanding banking and trade relations with the Afghanistan–U.S. Joint Chamber of Com...
As global diplomatic dynamics continue to evolve, the European Union is reassessing its ability to respond effectively to major international developments, prompting renewed debate over defence coordination, foreign policy decision-making and institutional reform.
U.S. forces say they have completed strikes on Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile attacks on an American base in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the two sides.
Da Afghanistan Bank, the country's central bank, has discussed expanding banking and trade relations with the Afghanistan–U.S. Joint Chamber of Commerce as the country seeks to strengthen financial services for traders and support private sector growth.
Tbilisi and Brussels have offered sharply different interpretations of a key meeting on Georgia's visa-free travel arrangements, highlighting the growing divide between the two sides.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says 19 citizens have been repatriated following a deadly drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov on 5 June.
A Sudanese man has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured and prompted calls online for a protest after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Iran and Israel said on Monday (8 June) they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, as Axios reported that Trump had privately told Benjamin Netanyahu “be careful, or you will be on your own very soon”.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Armenia’s parliamentary election has strengthened Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s mandate, with analysts linking the result to his post-Garabagh agenda and pro-Western direction. However, constitutional constraints remain a key obstacle to peace efforts with Azerbaijan.
France’s parliament has formally recognised state responsibility for the use of the toxic pesticide chlordecone in Martinique and Guadeloupe, marking a significant step in addressing decades of environmental contamination and public health concerns.
Financial markets are significantly underestimating the economic impact of biodiversity loss, potentially leaving countries exposed to sovereign debt crises and rising borrowing costs, according to new research published on Friday.
Wildlife researchers have identified dozens of previously unknown insect species during an expedition to Angola’s remote Lisima Plateau, a conservation group announced on Wednesday.
Global weather forecasters predict a strong El Niño will develop in the second half of 2026, bringing hotter, drier conditions to much of Asia while increasing rainfall in parts of North and South America.
Google has asked U.S. regulators for permission to release up to 32 million sterilised mosquitoes in California and Florida as part of its experimental “Debug” programme aimed at reducing populations of disease-carrying insects.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment