Tropical Storm Irene could take aim at Florida

22.08.2011 [10:50]
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Baku, Augsut 22 (AZERTAC). Tropical Storm Irene whipped the northern Leeward Islands with rain and squalls on Sunday as it barreled west on a track through the Caribbean that looked set to threaten Florida.

Irene, the ninth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, was expected to pass Puerto Rico`s southern coast late Sunday and early Monday and then strengthen into a hurricane as it approached the Dominican Republic.

It would be the first hurricane of the busy, but so far not destructive, 2011 Atlantic hurricane season.

At 11 a.m., Irene had top winds of 50 miles per hour and was about 235 miles east-southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, moving into the northeastern Caribbean sea, the U.S.-based National Hurricane Center said.

Residents of Antigua reported rains, strong squalls and surf as the storm passed the Leeward Islands in the northeast corner of the Caribbean.

Hurricane watches and warnings were in effect in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect for most of the northeastern Caribbean islands, and for Haiti.

Tropical Storm Irene could take aim at Florida

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