Hurricane Earl Northern Caribbean

Urgent update: The latest US weather estimates have raised Hurricane Earl to a category four storm, warning “catastrophic damage” will occur if it makes landfall as it barrels across the Caribbean towards the US.

Earl had brushed past the northern Virgin islands early yesterday and was now forecast to pass east of the islands of Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas before possibly swiping the eastern US coast later in the week.

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The First Hurricane for the Caribbean is heading for the Virgin Islands, Antigua, Hurricane Earl is generating sustained winds of 160km/h (100mph).

Forecasters say it could develop into a major hurricane later on Monday, as it approaches the Leeward Islands, which include the British Virgin Islands.

Strong winds and heavy rains are already lashing the islands, east of Puerto Rico in the northern Caribbean.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, St Maarten, Saba, St Eustatius, the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands.