Hurricane bears down on battered Caribbean

POINTE-À-PITRE: Hurricane Maria strengthened Monday as it blasted towards the eastern Caribbean, a region already struggling to recover from megastorm Irma, reports AFP.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Maria had intensified to a Category Two storm as it approached the French territory of Guadeloupe, the base for relief operations for several islands hit by Irma this month.

Guadeloupe was on "red alert" Monday with schools, businesses and government offices ordered to close, as was neighbouring Martinique, which is also part of France. Each has a population of around 400,000 people.

The hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometres (110 miles) an hour according to the NHC, is expected to hit Guadeloupe at around midday local time (1600 GMT).

It was expected to strengthen further into a Category Three "major hurricane", the NHC warned.

Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and the British island of Montserrat are also on alert.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb warned in Paris on Sunday that "we will have major difficulties" if Guadeloupe is hard hit, noting the territory was "the logistical centre from where we could supply St Martin and organise all the airlifts."

Irma killed 15 people on St Martin, an island shared by France and the Netherlands.

Officials in Guadeloupe predicted severe flooding in low-lying areas and urged residents to move to higher ground.

France, Britain and the Netherlands have been criticised for the pace of relief efforts and for struggling to contain lawlessness in their overseas territories amid widespread shortages of food, water and electricity after Irma.

But in Guadeloupe's capital Pointe-a-Pitre, local official Josette Borel-Lincertin said authorities had ample experience of preparing for hurricanes.

 

Hurricane bears down on battered Caribbean

POINTE--PITRE: Hurricane Maria strengthened Monday as it blasted towards the eastern Caribbean, a region already struggling to recover from megastorm Irma, reports AFP. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Maria had intensified to a Category Two storm as it approached the French territory of Guadeloupe, the base for relief operations for several islands hit by Irma this month. Guadeloupe was on red alert Monday with schools, businesses and government offices ordered to close, as was neighbouring Martinique, which is also part of France. Each has a population of around 400,000 people. The hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometres (110 miles) an hour according to the NHC, is expected to hit Guadeloupe at around midday local time (1600 GMT). It was expected to strengthen further into a Category Three major hurricane, the NHC warned. Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis and the British island of Montserrat are also on alert. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb warned in Paris on Sunday that we will have major difficulties if Guadeloupe is hard hit, noting the territory was the logistical centre from where we could supply St Martin and organise all the airlifts. Irma killed 15 people on St Martin, an island shared by France and the Netherlands. Officials in Guadeloupe predicted severe flooding in low-lying areas and urged residents to move to higher ground. France, Britain and the Netherlands have been criticised for the pace of relief efforts and for struggling to contain lawlessness in their overseas territories amid widespread shortages of food, water and electricity after Irma. But in Guadeloupes capital Pointe-a-Pitre, local official Josette Borel-Lincertin said authorities had ample experience of preparing for hurricanes.