Tropical Storm Wilma strengthened into a hurricane today on a path that could threaten Florida by the weekend.
|
| A satellite image shows
Wilma over the Caribbean Sea. |
Wilma has top sustained winds of nearly 75mph. Long-range forecasts show it could hit western Cuba or the Yucatan Peninsula before heading into the Gulf of Mexico by Friday.
The storm could also spare those countries while passing through the Yucatan Channel. Either way, computer models showed Wilma bearing down on south-western Florida over the weekend.
In the most active storm season for decades, vicious hurricanes have already battered the US Gulf coast, killing many and halting much of the United States' oil industry.
In Guatemala and El Salvador, Hurricane Stan caused floods and landslides that killed more than 1,000 people.
Oil markets have been watching Wilma's progress nervously, afraid it could strike Gulf of Mexico oil and gas facilities that are still reeling from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
But the threat to energy interests appeared to have eased as forecasters predicted the storm will turn towards Florida.
At 5 am this morning Wilma was about 420 km south-southeast of Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands, a British colony south of Cuba.
With several weeks still to go, this year's June-November Atlantic hurricane season has already tied a 72-year-old record for the most storms. Wilma is the 21st named storm.
Agencies