This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
The island nations of the Caribbean are bracing for more dangerous weather as Hurricane Ike maintains its strength. As of 11 p.m. EST Saturday, Ike was near or over Turks and Caicos, according to the National Weather Service, and was expected to hit the Bahamas tomorrow, followed by Cuba tomorrow night. The storm remains a dangerous Category 4 hurricane.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hanna continues to drench the northeast US, with some areas getting as much as 8 inches of rain. Hanna should roll over Boston late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
And there's a new member of the severe weather family: Tropical Storm Lowell has formed off the coast of Mexico, and is expected to drop 2-4 inches of rain in the country's southwestern mountains before possibly gathering enough steam to turn into a hurricane by Monday morning.
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It is, after all, as meteorologists predicted in May, a busy hurricane season. For more on hurricanes, see our in-depth report.
Predicted three-day path for Tropical Storm Lowell, by NOAA