Photo :Storm clouds gather as Tropical Storm Dorian moves toward St Michael Parish, Barbados, Monday. Photograph: Chris Brandis/AP
nbsp;
The storm is expected to hit Puerto Rico as a hurricane on Wednesday, while much of Barbados is shut down
Tropical Storm Dorian is gathering strength and hurtling on a path to hit Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, while dumping torrential rain Tuesday on the Windward Islands of the eastern Caribbean.
The storm is expected to hit Puerto Rico as a hurricane on Wednesday, just shy of two years since Hurricane Maria devastated the US territory in a catastrophe from which the island has yet to recover.
The US national hurricane center issued tropical storm warnings for Martinique, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. The center said the storm has maximum sustained winds near 50mph and is forecast to strengthen during the next 48 hours before whacking Puerto Rico.
“Dorian is forecast to be a hurricane when it moves near Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola,” the center said.
The storm was expected to dump three to eight inches of rain in the Windward islands, with isolated amounts of 10 inches.
Much of Barbados shut down as Dorian approached and authorities urged residents to remain indoors amid reports of electrical outages and other minor incidents Read More.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/27/tropical-storm-dorian-gathers-strength-as-it-nears-puerto-rico