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Caribbean island getaways batten down the hatches for Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma: Florida governor declares state of emergency as Caribbean brace for impact
(about 3 hours later)
Hurricane Irma could strike the British Virgin Islands as soon as Wednesday, according to the meteorological office of Antigua, which has warned that the Category 3 storm is carrying winds of up to 115mph. Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for the entire state in response to Hurricane Irma. A number of idyllic Caribbean islands have been warned that they are in the direct path of the Category 4 storm.
Governor Scott issued an executive order Monday stating that “Hurricane Irma is a major and life-threatening storm and Florida must be prepared.”
Scott said he wanted to ensure that local governments have ample time and resources to prepare for the storm.
The latest advisory indicated the threat to South Florida was increasing and residents should be prepared.
After the recent destruction meted out on Texas by Hurricane Harvey, the route of storm system Irma has stirred up considerable fear, with online conjecture and even fake weather forecasts suggesting it was due to hit the east coast of the US. The extreme weather conditions are now expected to barrel past the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Antigua, Montserrat and St Kitts within the next 36 hours, the US National Hurricane Center reports.
But according to weather experts in Antigua and Barbuba, the storm is getting closer to the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Hurricane Irma has also been upgraded to a Category 4 storm in the last number of hours. It is currently surging west over the Atlantic Ocean at 14mph.
The storm is said to be travelling west over the Atlantic Ocean at 14mph. Currently a Category 3 storm, Irma’s winds are estimated to strengthen in the next 48 hours to reach beyond 115mph. Earlier, the meteorological office of Antigua and Barbuda warned the storm was carrying winds of up to 115mph and that “further strengthening is possible” before it passes through the Caribbean.
“Based on the latest information and track analysis, Irma is expected to maintain a path that increases the threat of strong winds, rough seas and heavy rainfall impacting the British Virgin Islands on Wednesday,” the Antigua weather office alert stated. Dangerous increases in water levels by up to 9 feet could be experienced along coastal regions of the Leeward Islands, which are made up of picturesque isles such as St Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Residents and boats owners on the islands have been urged by the BVI government to secure their property in advance of Hurricane Irma. US weather experts believe the hurricane is most likely to hit the northern part of the island group.
An update by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) states that storm warnings have also been issued by the governments of France and the Netherlands in respect to the islands of St Martin, Saint Barthelemy, St Eustatius and Saba. “The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves,” the NHC said.
Puerto Rico could also be impacted by the hurricane. “Hurricane conditions are possible within the hurricane watch area in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by late Wednesday, with tropical storm conditions possible by early Wednesday,” it added.
 
Residents and boats owners on the islands have been urged by the British Virgin Islands government to secure their property in advance of Hurricane Irma.