BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – RESIDENTS of Bermuda are on high alert as they are keeping an eye on Rafael, especially now that it has strengthened into a Category One hurricane.
The transition was made from tropical storm (TS) to hurricane yesterday (Oct. 15) and the system was making a north-northwesterly course but has since changed its direction, now travelling towards the north-northeast.
Progressing at a speed of 16 miles per hour, Hurricane Rafael – as at 8:00 this morning –was located about 345 miles off the coast of Bermuda and has maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.
A tropical warning is in effect for Bermuda and, according to forecasters, the storm is expected to dump between two and four inches of rain across the island.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) – located is Miami – is reporting that Rafael is expected to make a turn to the northeast and is expected to pass to the east of Bermuda sometime this evening.
Hurricane-force-winds, the NHC informs, extend 45 miles from Rafael’s centre and tropical-storm-force-winds extend for up to 205 miles.
The Federation of St Christopher and Nevis was brushed by the outer bands of the storm between Saturday and Monday while it was yet a TS. And as a result the islands experienced gusty winds, torrential rain, flooding, thunder storms, loss of electricity and loss of water supply.
The St. Kitts Meteorological Office told SKNVibes that between 8:00 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 12) and 8:00 p.m. Monday (Oct. 15), St. Kitts experienced approximately 12.31 inches of rainfall, while sister isle Nevis experienced some seven inches of rainfall.
Rafael is expected to show signs of weakening on Wednesday morning.
