TORONTO — Tropical Storm Jerry is now a hurricane, closing in on the outermost Caribbean islands with top sustained winds of 120 kph.
Forecasters say Hurricane Jerry could pass just north of the Leeward Islands on Friday, then move between Puerto Rico and the Bahamas on Saturday and Sunday.
The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm watch for the islands of Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Saba and St. Eustatius.
Jerry is forecast to strengthen during the next day before some weakening begins this weekend. As of Thursday morning, it was centred about 785 kilometres east of the Leeward Islands, moving west-northwest at 26 kph.
Hurricane Lorena has been hugging Mexico’s southwestern Pacific coast, dropping torrential rain on an extremely arid area. WestJet is waiving change fees for travel to or from Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and/or San Jose del Cabo, for travel Sept. 21 – 22.
Thankfully Bermuda escaped any major damage from Hurricane Humberto. Officials in Bermuda say Hurricane Humberto blew off rooftops, toppled trees and knocked out power as it blew past the British Atlantic island. But officials aren’t reporting any deaths from the Category 3 storm.
Premier David Burt said Thursday that “We’ve made it through and everyone is safe,” adding, “That’s what is most important.”
Some 28,000 customers on the island of 70,000 people were without power this morning. The storm is currently centred about 400 kilometres north-northeast of Bermuda and moving to the east-northeast at 35 kph.
Meanwhile hundreds of flights have been cancelled or delayed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston due to heavy rain and flooding in Southeast Texas, as a result of Tropical Storm Imelda.
Airport officials reported a full ground stop Thursday morning, meaning no flights landing or departing, with flooding on some roads leading to the airport in far north Houston.
An airport spokeswoman said some inbound flights were diverted to William P. Hobby Airport, on the south side of Houston.