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The Leewards Islands ravaged by Category 5 Hurricane Irma are now facing Hurricane Jose, which has just been upgraded to a category 3. Jose which was just over 1,000 miles behind Irma, seems to be heading along a similar path as its predecessor.
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The Weather Channel is reporting that Jose is currently less than 600 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and is moving west-northwest direction at speeds of 15 to 20 mph. National Hurricane Center says the storm can intensify in the next 24 to 36 hours.
Antigua's Met Office issued a hurricane warning at 6:00 a.m. local time, with the center of Hurricane Jose about 815 miles east of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. Its effect on the region is expected to be devastating, as Irma has already claimed 10 lives, with the number most likely to rise as the damages in Barbuda, St. Barts and St. Martin were significant.
The Weather Channel said its path may follow Irma, but with the possibility that it could turn westward avoiding a direct hit. But the Leewards can expect to experience a significant amount of wind and rainfall, as Hurricane Jose is expected to strengthen.
"It's not 100 percent certain that we're going to get a direct hit. And now remember there's a huge, huge difference in getting hit by the eyewall and being 60 or 70 miles outside of the eye wall," the channel said.
The Antigua Met Office said based on its current track Hurricane Jose can pass close to the Leeward Islands and the British Virgin Islands by the weekend.
UNICEF estimates that 74,000 people, including 20,000 children have been affected by Hurricane Irma. The 10 people reported killed so far included a two-year old boy in Barbuda, where Prime Minister Gaston Brown said that 95 percent of the island was destroyed.
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Several videos have emerged online of residents in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, recording the damage by Irma with their mobile phones. The islands, like Anguilla, were seriously affected by Hurricane Irma.
The Caribbean is also under threat from Hurricane Katia, which has killed three persons in Mexico. Heavy rains caused triggered a landslide in Palo de Marca in the municipality Huautla de Jimenez. The victims are women and her children, ages four and 12.
Katia is also contributing to the Caribbean's unsettled weather.
The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology is advising that August and September are the wettest months of the rainy season, with the Atlantic hurricane season officially ending Nov. 30.
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