Igor lashes Canada; Georgette heads toward Mexico

(News Today) - The storm known as Igor was moving farther away from Canada on Wednesday morning, but could still produce hurricane-force winds in the area.

As of 12:30 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET), Igor was about 445 kilometers (277 miles) east of St. Anthony, Newfoundland, according to the Canadian Weather Office. It had maximum sustained winds of about 86 mph (139 kph).

A hurricane-force wind warning remained in effect for the northeasternmost Newfoundland marine areas.

Igor sped past Newfoundland on Tuesday, leaving behind downed trees, washed-out roads and a desperate search for a missing elderly man.

Sgt. Boyd Merrill of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said authorities responded to reports that an 80-year-old man was swept out to sea Tuesday morning when his driveway collapsed.

The incident took place on Random Island near Britannia, Merrill said, and the harsh weather conditions have made the search difficult.

With impassable roads and no air or sea travel available, Merrill said, only local residents have been able to search the area.

Earlier this week, the center of Igor came about 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Bermuda and left widespread power outages on the island.

Farther east in the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Lisa remained virtually still late Tuesday night as it hovered about 505 miles (815 kilometers) west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. As of 11 p.m. ET, Lisa was moving northeast at about 2 mph (4 kph) and carried maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph (75 kph).

Lisa is not expected to reach any major landmass by the end of this week.

Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Georgette headed toward mainland Mexico on Tuesday night. As of 11 p.m. ET, Georgette was about 30 miles (45 kilometers) north of La Paz, Mexico and carried maximum sustained winds of about 35 mph (55 kph), according to the hurricane center.

Georgette was headed north-northwest at about 13 mph (20 kph). The Mexican government issued a tropical storm watch for the coast of mainland Mexico from Huatabampito north to Bahia Kino, as Georgette is expected to make landfall in the area by late Wednesday.

The hurricane center said Georgette could drop 4 to 6 inches of rain in parts of Mexico, and Georgette is expected to affect parts of the southwestern United States in the next few days.

Source : CNN

Posted in: