A maximum-strength category 5 hurricane is expected to cause “catastrophic damage” when it slams into British islands in the Caribbean today. Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, which are popular with holidaymakers, were battened down as the authorities urged inhabitants to protect themselves against the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma. It has sustained winds of 185mph, enough to destroy all wooden houses, and is one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the Atlantic. A surge of up to 3.5m (11ft) above normal tides is also forecast, a potentially devastating combination for Anguilla, a low-lying coral and limestone British overseas territory in the Leeward Islands, which is home to 15,000 people and heavily dependent on tourism. The Franco-Dutch islands of St Martin and Gustavia…

Source: The Times September 05, 2017 23:02 UTC