A second powerful storm in as many weeks was bearing down on a string of battered Caribbean islands, with forecasters saying Maria would strengthen rapidly into a major hurricane as it ripped into the Leeward Islands on Monday night. Maria’s strength was building as it approached the Lesser Antilles, the US National Hurricane Centre said, estimating its winds near 145kph. Maria is approaching the eastern Caribbean less than two weeks after Irma hammered the region before overrunning Florida. Hurricane conditions were expected for Guadalupe, Dominica, Martinique and St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat, and the hurricane centre warned Puerto Rico to monitor the storm. The British Virgin Islands and St Martin, which was devastated by Hurricane Irma, were under a hurricane watch, as were the US Virgin Islands and Anguilla.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 18, 2017 15:00 UTC