After Hurricane Harvey killed at least 39 people in the USA, Hurricane Irma has turned into a category 3 hurricane over the Atlantic.
News bulletins over the world have been filled with shocking images of rising flood waters in the state of Texas, US, as thousands of people struggle to find safe places to sleep amid the chaos. It is reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina from so long ago – which occurred during George W Bush’s tenure as US President – with many experts referring to Harvey as potentially worse in the sheer destruction it has wreaked, if only in its after-effects.
However, US citizens should be on the lookout for a successor to Harvey – Irma, which is currently said to be ‘strengthening in the Atlantic’, according to CNN. It’s thought that Hurricane Irma is days away from the edge of Caribbean islands and that it could reach mainland North America within a week. What’s even more shaky is just where it will go – at the time of writing, forecasts are not sure just where Irma is planning to drift to – with a vast expanse running from Mexico right up to Canada potentially at risk from Irma’s colossal winds.
Hurricane Irma’s status has been recently upgraded to ‘category 3’ with wind speeds supposedly reaching 115 miles per hour – with the National Hurricane Center further stating that a 58 mile per hour increase in speed within 24 hours could be something to be concerned about. For reference, Harvey is a category 4 hurricane – meaning that, while Irma may not be as powerful nor as potentially dangerous as the current storm at present, it does have the potential to grow into something greater. Following the destruction and devastation caused by Harvey, there is little wonder why so many experts are fervently watching Irma with keen insight.
It’s thought that Irma will strengthen further into a category 4 model by the beginning of the week – meaning that it could offer similar problems for US mainlanders that Harvey victims have experienced in the past week. Hurricanes in the Caribbean and Atlantic are, sadly, nothing new – but both Harvey and Irma arriving within days of each other will likely be causing concern to both outer islands and mainland Americans at present. Keep up to date with one News Page – and we’ll let you know of Irma’s latest movements as and when they occur.
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