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.
U.S. President Donald Trump is about to unveil the charter of his proposed 'Board of Peace' in Davos, an initiative that has expanded well beyond its ...
A faint hand outline found in an Indonesian cave has been dated to at least 67,800 years ago, making it the oldest known example of rock art and offer...
The stark, frozen beauty of the Arctic has become the unlikely stage for a high-stakes diplomatic standoff that threatens to dismantle the transatlant...
Syria’s government accused the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces of attacks that it said killed 11 soldiers, raising doubts over a four-day cease...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 22nd of January, covering the latest developments you need to ...
A faint hand outline found in an Indonesian cave has been dated to at least 67,800 years ago, making it the oldest known example of rock art and offering new insight into early human migration across Southeast Asia.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 22nd of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Venezuelan oil exports under a flagship $2 billion supply deal with the U.S. reached about 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and documents from state-run PDVSA showed.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
There was a common theme in speeches at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday (20 January). China’s Vice-Premier, He Lifeng, warned that "tariffs and trade wars have no winners," while France's Emmanuel Macron, labelled "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the U.S. "fundamentally unacceptable."
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would “work something out” with NATO allies on Tuesday, defending his approach to the alliance while renewing his push for U.S. control of Greenland amid rising tensions with Europe.
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia discussed how the South Caucasus and wider Eurasian region can strengthen economic ties, peace and geopolitical stability amid shifting global influence.
The European Union has proposed new restrictions on exports of drone and missile-related technology to Iran, while preparing additional sanctions in response to what it described as Tehran’s "brutal suppression" of protesters.
Türkiye is closely monitoring developments in Syria and considers the country’s unity and territorial integrity vital for regional stability, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told President Donald Trump during a phone call on Tuesday, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
Several people, including children, were reported missing in New Zealand's north island on Thursday after a landslide struck a coastal campsite amid heavy rain that caused evacuations of people to safety, road closures and widespread power outages.
At least four people were killed on Tuesday as floods swept across Tunisia during the worst torrential rain for more than 70 years in some regions, and there were fears the death toll could rise, authorities said.
The world has already entered an era of global water bankruptcy, with irreversible damage to rivers, aquifers, lakes and glaciers pushing billions of people into long-term water insecurity, according to a major United Nations report released on Tuesday.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions of country on Sunday as raging wildfires forced at least 20,000 people to evacuate and left at least 19 people dead.
A landmark global treaty to safeguard biodiversity in the high seas came into effect on Saturday, providing countries with a legally binding framework to tackle threats and meet a target to protect 30% of the ocean environment by 2030.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment