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22/09/2005
Mass evacuation in progress as Hurricane nears US
A mass evacuation is underway along parts of the Gulf coast of the US as Hurricane Rita is upgraded to a Category Five storm.
Wind speeds of up to 175mph are forecast to hit the Texan coast as meteorologists track the course of the slowly advancing storm, one of the most intense ever to threaten the US.
President George Bush has declared a state of emergency in Texas and neighbouring Louisiana, urging residents to heed evacuation orders as the US authorities began to prepare for the worst.
As the storm soaked up energy from the warm seas of the Gulf of Mexico, it has been upgraded to Category Five storm with wind speeds in excess of 155mph, the highest rating.
Hurricane Katrina which caused devastation in New Orleans and Louisiana in August was a Category Four with wind speeds between 131 and 154mph.
On Thursday the eye of the hurricane was some 500 miles from the US coast. However, meteorologists expect that the storm, which despite the high winds, moves at less than 10 miles an hour, will be downgraded to a Category Three by the time it hits land near Galveston on Saturday.
Residents have been ordered to leave Galveston and parts of Houston as the storm threatens these areas. Most of the residents appear to have left Galveston. Some are refugees from Louisiana who had taken shelter from Hurricane Katrina.
Fears of a storm surge have prompted desperate efforts to repair damage to the weakened flood defence system in parts of Louisiana still recovering from the last hurricane.
Hurricane Rita, which hit the Florida Keys on Tuesday when it was a Category Three storm, caused minor flooding and caused some structural damage.
It is reported that 70% of the oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut down, prompting a further surge in oil prices worldwide.
The confirmed death toll in the US from Hurricane Katrina exceeded 1,000 this week.
(SP)
Wind speeds of up to 175mph are forecast to hit the Texan coast as meteorologists track the course of the slowly advancing storm, one of the most intense ever to threaten the US.
President George Bush has declared a state of emergency in Texas and neighbouring Louisiana, urging residents to heed evacuation orders as the US authorities began to prepare for the worst.
As the storm soaked up energy from the warm seas of the Gulf of Mexico, it has been upgraded to Category Five storm with wind speeds in excess of 155mph, the highest rating.
Hurricane Katrina which caused devastation in New Orleans and Louisiana in August was a Category Four with wind speeds between 131 and 154mph.
On Thursday the eye of the hurricane was some 500 miles from the US coast. However, meteorologists expect that the storm, which despite the high winds, moves at less than 10 miles an hour, will be downgraded to a Category Three by the time it hits land near Galveston on Saturday.
Residents have been ordered to leave Galveston and parts of Houston as the storm threatens these areas. Most of the residents appear to have left Galveston. Some are refugees from Louisiana who had taken shelter from Hurricane Katrina.
Fears of a storm surge have prompted desperate efforts to repair damage to the weakened flood defence system in parts of Louisiana still recovering from the last hurricane.
Hurricane Rita, which hit the Florida Keys on Tuesday when it was a Category Three storm, caused minor flooding and caused some structural damage.
It is reported that 70% of the oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut down, prompting a further surge in oil prices worldwide.
The confirmed death toll in the US from Hurricane Katrina exceeded 1,000 this week.
(SP)
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23 September 2005
Bus blaze kills elderly passengers fleeing 'Rita'
As the mass evacuation from the encroaching hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico continued, a bus fire was reported to have killed at least 24 elderly people fleeing the area on Friday. The bus was destroyed in the blaze which caused a massive tailback on already congested main Interstate route just south of Dallas.
Bus blaze kills elderly passengers fleeing 'Rita'
As the mass evacuation from the encroaching hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico continued, a bus fire was reported to have killed at least 24 elderly people fleeing the area on Friday. The bus was destroyed in the blaze which caused a massive tailback on already congested main Interstate route just south of Dallas.
30 August 2011
FOC Advises Britons Trapped By Irene
The British Foreign Office has issued advice for any of its citizens trapped in the US Hurricane Irene. The east coast of America was ravaged in recent days by the Category 3 hurricane Irene, claiming over 40 lives and leaving many areas still without power.
FOC Advises Britons Trapped By Irene
The British Foreign Office has issued advice for any of its citizens trapped in the US Hurricane Irene. The east coast of America was ravaged in recent days by the Category 3 hurricane Irene, claiming over 40 lives and leaving many areas still without power.
20 October 2005
Evacuation as hurricane approaches Mexican coast
Parts of the northern and western coasts of Mexico are being evacuated as coastal areas of the Yucatan peninsula are threatened by Hurricane Wilma.
Evacuation as hurricane approaches Mexican coast
Parts of the northern and western coasts of Mexico are being evacuated as coastal areas of the Yucatan peninsula are threatened by Hurricane Wilma.
18 July 2005
Thousands affected by latest hurricane to hit Caribbean
Hurricane Emily has touched down at Mexico's Caribbean coast, with experts predicting the storm could flare into a rare category five hurricane, similar to the one which devastated the region in 1988. The hurricane, which is expected to make landfall in Mexico or southern Texas on Wednesday, has left a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
Thousands affected by latest hurricane to hit Caribbean
Hurricane Emily has touched down at Mexico's Caribbean coast, with experts predicting the storm could flare into a rare category five hurricane, similar to the one which devastated the region in 1988. The hurricane, which is expected to make landfall in Mexico or southern Texas on Wednesday, has left a trail of death and destruction in its wake.
25 October 2005
Hurricane Wilma sweeps through Florida
Hurricane Wilma has left six people dead, tens of thousands of homes damaged and flooded, and millions of people without power as the huge hurricane swept across Florida leaving a swath of destruction.
Hurricane Wilma sweeps through Florida
Hurricane Wilma has left six people dead, tens of thousands of homes damaged and flooded, and millions of people without power as the huge hurricane swept across Florida leaving a swath of destruction.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:It will be cloudy again throughout the day. Mainly dry in the morning, but patchy drizzle in places, becoming more widespread and persistent in the afternoon. Freshening southwesterly winds. Maximum temperature 12 °C.Tonight:Cloudy with a spell of heavy rain pushing south through late evening and the early hours, followed by some clear spells. Minimum temperature 6 °C.
