MIAMI, Sept 14, 2010 (AFP) - The most powerful Atlantic storm of 2010, strengthening Hurricane Igor, whipped up dangerous swells in the Caribbean on Wednesday as it barreled west-northwest in the direction of Bermuda. Igor, packing sustained winds of 155 miles (250 kilometers) per hour, is a category-four hurricane, the second highest rating on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale.
And as it churned through the Atlantic, the US National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Karl was expected to reach Mexico's Yucatan peninsula early Wednesday morning. Though still comparatively weak, the system threatened to dump more rain on Mexico, which is struggling with flooding in southeastern states including Veracruz and Oaxaca. Almost one million people were affected by flooding this month alone, which left 25 dead. The rains, which began in July, are set to worsen as the season continues to almost the end of the year. More than one third of the Gulf coast state of Veracruz has been hit by flooding which affected some 500,000 people, according to governor Fidel Herrera.
Igor is not expected to make landfall for days, but forecasters say storm swells will reach Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by early Wednesday and move from there to Bermuda. They caution it is too early to know if it will be a direct hit or how strong it will be by then. Dangerous surf was also affecting the Leeward islands, and should affect some of the Bahamas Wednesday. "These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the Miami-based NHC warned. "Much more detail on Igor will be covered in the next few days, as it likely becomes a potential threat" to land, forecasters said. At 0300 GMT (Wednesday), Igor's eye was located some 605 miles (975 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward islands and it was heading west-northwestward at nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour, US experts said. Though the storm's strength was expected to fluctuate in the coming days, Igor was expected to remain powerful through Thursday.
Of more immediate threat to land was Karl, which the NHC said could bring coastal flooding and up to eight inches of rain to Mexico and parts of Belize and northern Guatemala. "A storm surge is expected to produce some coastal flooding near and to the north of where the center makes landfall," the center said. "The surge will be accompanied by large and damaging waves. "Karl is expected to produce total rain accumulations of three to five inches over the Yucatan peninsula, Belize and northern Guatemala, with isolated maximum amounts of eight inches," the center added.
A third weather system, Hurricane Julia, continued to strengthen rapidly. At 0530 GMT it had surged to category three strength, with top sustained winds at 125 mph (205 kph) per hour, tracking slowly west-northwest. The storm was not close to any land mass for now, the NHC noted. Last week, tropical storm Hermine slammed into far northeastern mexico and then barreled into US territory, sparking flash floods on both sides of the border.
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