Dorian upgrades to hurricane

Tropical Storm Dorian has upgraded to a hurricane.

A 2 pm advisory from the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Centre said Dorian became a hurricane near St Thomas in the neighbouring US Virgin Islands.

At the aforesaid time stamp, the centre of Hurricane Dorian, which now has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, was located near latitude 18.3 degrees North and longitude 65.0 degrees West. 

The weather system is currently moving toward the northwest near 13 mph. This motion is expected to continue for the next day or two, the hurricane centres have said.

“On this track, Dorian should continue to move near or over the US and British Virgin Islands this afternoon and then move over the open Atlantic well east of the southeastern Bahamas,” the National Hurricane Center stated.

It also noted that Dorian’s hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 20 miles to the north and east of its centre. Its Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles primarily to the east of the centre.

“An elevated weather station on Buck Island just south of St Thomas reported a sustained wind of 82 mph and a gust of 111 mph.”