British tourists on the east coast of the United States have been warned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that they should pay very close attention to the progress of Hurricane Isabel, which is due to reach land later today.
As reported, the hurricane was originally classified as a Category Five storm – the highest possible rating – and while it has been downgraded to a Category Two storm, winds of at least 100 miles an hour are still expected. Hurricane warnings are currently in effect for North Carolina and Virginia, while there are still tropical storm warnings in place for areas to the north and south of these two states.
The FCO warning reads: “The hurricane could also affect North and South Carolina (particularly in coastal areas) and there is a possibility that those living in inland areas could be affected by utilities shortages and flooding.
“A number of US Government and aid organisations are working to reduce the possible impact of the hurricane on citizens and the country’s infrastructure. British nationals planning to travel to the United States are strongly recommended to follow events closely and keep a regular check on the FCO’s travel advice website for developments.”
The FCO site is at http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel. For the very latest updates on Isabel’s progress visit http://www.hurricaneadvisories.com or the US national hurricane centre at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
