Residents of several Caribbean islands are bracing for catastrophic damage after Hurricane Maria intensified into a category 5 storm shortly before making landfall on Dominica.
The US National Hurricane Centre says the storm has sustained winds of 160mph and has developed a “pinhole eye” just ten miles across – a sign that it is likely to get even stronger.
As the storm lashed the island, Roosevelt Skerrit, the Prime Minister of Dominica, announced on Facebook that winds had torn the roof off his home and he was “at the complete mercy of the hurricane”. He has since been rescued.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Forecasters say the storm is expected to pass directly over Puerto Rico, which was largely spared widespread wind damage earlier this month. “Officials in the US territory warned residents of wooden or otherwise flimsy homes to find safe shelter,” the Associated Press reports.
“You have to evacuate,” said Hector Pesquera, Puerto Rico’s public safety commissioner. "Otherwise you’re going to die. I don’t know how to make this any clearer.”
Hurricane warnings are also in place for the US and British Virgin Islands, which suffered severe damage during Hurricane Irma. “British authorities fear debris left behind by Irma could be whipped up by the new storm and pose an extra threat,” the BBC reports.
Other islands under Hurricane warnings include St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and St Lucia, and hurricane watches are in place for St Martin, Saba, St Eustatius and Anguilla.
-
Antonia Romeo and Whitehall’s women problemThe Explainer Before her appointment as cabinet secretary, commentators said hostile briefings and vetting concerns were evidence of ‘sexist, misogynistic culture’ in No. 10
-
Local elections 2026: where are they and who is expected to win?The Explainer Labour is braced for heavy losses and U-turn on postponing some council elections hasn’t helped the party’s prospects
-
6 of the world’s most accessible destinationsThe Week Recommends Experience all of Berlin, Singapore and Sydney
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
