Hurricane Irene has strengthened to category two force after churning over the Turks and Caicos islands and is now heading towards the Bahamas.
These live webcam views are in the areas affected by the tropical storm:
Hurricane Irene Live
Hurricane Irene is an active tropical cyclone that currently poses a threat to Hispaniola and the Bahamas. The ninth named storm and first hurricane of the season, Irene developed from a well-defined Atlantic tropical wave, which showed signs of tropical development east of the Lesser Antilles. It developed a stable amount of atmospheric convection and a closed cyclonic circulation center, prompting the National Hurricane Center to initiate public advisories late on August 20. Subsequent convective organization occurred as it passed the Leeward Islands, and by August 21 it moved very close to Saint Croix. Irene made landfall on Puerto Rico near hurricane strength the next day, where high winds and intermittent torrents caused moderate property damage.
In response to the formation of Irene, tropical storm warnings were issued for all of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. As Irene was forecast to make landfall on Hispaniola, a tropical storm watch was initially issued for the south coast of the Dominican Republic, though it was upgraded to a hurricane warning on August 21 after strengthening was forecast. In light of the expected intensification to hurricane status, a tropical storm warning was also issued for the northern coast of that country, while a tropical storm watch was put in effect for all of Haiti; the tropical storm warning for Puerto Rico was simultaneously upgraded to a hurricane watch. Later that day, all of the Dominican Republic was placed under a hurricane warning, with the tropical storm watch for Haiti upgraded to a warning and a tropical storm watch initiated for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. As Irene's forecast track became justified, the latter watch was upgraded to a warning on August 22, while a hurricane watch was declared for the central Bahamas
