Perilous Times and Climate Change
Igor strengthens to category four hurricane
by Staff Writers
Miami (AFP) Sept 12, 2010
Igor, swirling in the central Atlantic and not a threat to land,
strengthened to a powerful category four hurricane Sunday, the
Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.
Hurricane Igor "rapidly intensifies into a category four hurricane," on
the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, the NHC said in a special advisory.
The storm had maximum sustained winds near 135 miles (215 kilometers)
per hour, with higher gusts at 1830 GMT. "Some additional strengthening
is forecast during the next 48 hours," the NHC said.
The center of Igor was 1,565 miles (2,520 kilometers) east of Santo
Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, traveling towards the west at
nearly 14 miles (22 kilometers) an hour at 1830 GMT.
Forecasters said the storm could turn west-northwest on Tuesday and
track the northern Caribbean, possibly heading toward Bermuda.
Meanwhile, a tropical depression formed off the coast of Africa, and a
tropical storm warning was issued for the southern Cape Verde Islands.
Tropical Depression Twelve was expected to become a tropical storm
later Sunday or Monday, according to the Miami-based NHC.
At 1800 GMT the storm was dumping rain on the islands, located off
western tip of the African continent.
Early this week, powerful Tropical Storm Hermine slammed into far
northeastern Mexico and then barreled into US territory, sparking flash
floods on both sides of the border.
Hermine came on the heels of Hurricane Earl, which gained category four
status at its height in the Atlantic Ocean, whipping up heavy winds
along the east coast of the United States and Canada.