Earl batters Caribbean, threatens US East Coast

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP):

Hurricane Earl battered tiny islands across the northeastern Caribbean with heavy rain and roof-ripping winds yesterday, rapidly intensifying into a major Category Four storm on a path projected to menace the United States.

Already dangerous with sustained winds of 135mph (215kph), Earl is expected to gain more strength before potentially brushing the US East Coast this week and bringing deadly rip currents.

The US National Hurricane Center in Miami warned coastal residents from North Carolina to Maine to watch the storm closely.

"Any small shift in the track could dramatically alter whether it makes landfall or whether it remains over the open ocean," said Wallace Hogsett, a meteorologist at the centre. "I can't urge enough to just stay tuned."

Power outages reported

In the Caribbean, Earl caused flooding in low-lying areas and damaged homes on islands, including Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla and St Maarten. Several countries and territories reported power outages. Cruise ships were diverted and flights cancelled across the region.

"We are getting a battering with wind and rain," said Martin Gussie, a police officer in Anguilla. Several utility poles were down and a couple of roofs had blown away, and it was still too dangerous to go out and assess the full extent of damage, he said.

The storm's centre passed just north of the British Virgin Islands on Monday afternoon. It was gradually moving away from the Caribbean and was forecast to approach the US mid-Atlantic region around Thursday before curving back out to sea, potentially swiping New England or far-eastern Canada.