Bahamas brace for Hurricane Irene

MIAMI, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Weather conditions in the southeastern Bahamas were rapidly deteriorating late Tuesday as Hurricane Irene approached, forecasters in Miami said.

In its 11 p.m. EDT update, the National Hurricane Center said Irene -- which was downgraded to a Category 1 storm Tuesday evening as it neared the Turks and Caicos Islands – was about 410 miles southeast of Nassau and about 980 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., with sustained top winds of 90 mph. Th storm was moving west-northwest at 9 mph.

Irene was expected to turn gradually to the northwest Wednesday. On its forecast track, the storm is expected to cross the southeastern and central Bahamas Wednesday and then cut across the northwestern Bahamas Thursday, forecasters said.

Although Irene was downgraded Tuesday, the storm could regain strength and become a major hurricane Wednesday or Thursday, the forecast said.

Hurricane warnings were in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeastern, central and northwestern Bahamas. A tropical storm warning was in place for the north coast of Haiti from Le Mole St. Nicholas eastward to the Dominican Republic border. Irene was expected to stay on its current track through the night, and then turn toward the northwest Wednesday, forecasters said.

The storm was to pummel the Turks and Caicos Islands for several hours before striking the southeastern and central Bahamas later in the night or on Wednesday, and the northwestern Bahamas on Thursday.

Irene's hurricane-force gales were extending outward as much as 40 miles from its center and tropical storm force winds were reaching out 205 miles.

Irene was expected to produce surf surges of up to 11 feet and dump up to 10 inches of rain in some areas. Forecasters said the rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in areas of steep terrain.