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Tropical Storm Dorian is nearing the Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as it continues on a path that could take it to the southeastern United States.
The US National Hurricane Center says Dorian is expected to be near hurricane strength when it approaches Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Follow live updates on the storm below
The storm is predicted to pass through Puerto Rico, Vieques and the US Virgin Islands later today, all of which are currently on hurricane watch. Dorian’s winds could reach 100mph over the next four days, the National Hurricane Center says.
It is expected to hitting Florida’s coast as a hurricane late Sunday or early Monday.
Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to attack Puerto Rico as it braces for Storm Dorian. The president has repeated false comments about disaster relief after Hurricane Maria, and has claimed he is “the best thing that’s ever happened to Puerto Rico.”
Storm Dorian is expected to develop into a hurricane when it reaches Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from back-to-back hurricanes that killed about 3,000 people in 2017. During a televised news conference, Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez insisted: “We are better prepared than when Hurricane Maria attacked our island.”
Here is a safety message from the National Hurricane Center about potential hazards from Storm Dorian:
This satellite image shows Tropical Storm Dorian as it approaches Puerto Rico in the Caribbean at 11:40 UTC.
Storm Dorian is currently a tropical storm, but is expected to develop into a hurricane at it makes landfall in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
As of 1pm UK time (8am EST), Dorian was centred about 60 miles (96 kilometres) southeast of St. Croix and moving northwest near 13 mph (20 kph).
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Storm Dorian. We’ll be bringing you the latest updates on the storm as it approaches Puerto Rico.
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