Hurricane Irma barrels towards Caribbean and US

MARIGOT: Irma has strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” Category Five hurricane, meteorologists warned, sparking alarm and flooding alerts as it barrelled towards the Caribbean.

The monster hurricane coming on the heels of Harvey, which struck Texas and Louisiana late last month, was expected to make landfall along the string of French islands, including Guadeloupe, late yesterday before heading to Haiti and Florida.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) in its 1200 GMT bulletin said Irma had strengthened to the most powerful Category Five, packing winds of 280kph.

The front was moving west at 22kph and expected to drop 10cm to 20cm of rain when it hit land.

“These rainfall amounts may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides,” the NHC warned.

Irma’s centre was located about 515km east of the West Indies’ Leeward Islands, the NHC said, urging that “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion” in the region.

Schools and government offices in Guadeloupe were ordered shut, while hospitals stocked up on medicines, food and drinking water.

People living on shorelines would be moved to safety, authorities said.

Saint Barthelemy and St Martin islands, both popular holiday spots, were expected to be hardest hit.

The top French official of the islands, Anne Laubies, said in Saint Martin’s capital Marigot that the hurricane posed the greatest threat in 20 years.

Category Five hurricanes are rare and capable of inflicting life-threatening winds, storm surges and rain.

A hurricane of this magnitude can tear off roofing, shatter windows, uproot palm trees and turn them into projectiles that can kill people.