Gonzalo seen becoming hurricane as nears Virgin Islands
SAN JUAN (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Gonzalo gained strength as it moved through the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean and was forecast to become a hurricane late Monday as it nears the British Virgin Islands before passing just north of Puerto Rico, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm, with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (113 km per hour), was located about 65 miles (105 km) southeast of St. Martin/St. Maarten, the half-French, half-Dutch island, and was moving west-northwest at 10 mph (16 kph). A hurricane warning was in effect for the British Virgin Islands and hurricane watches were in effect for Puerto Rico, St. Martin/St. Maarten, Anguilla and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most forecasts showed Gonzalo not making landfall in the mainland United States and spinning away in a northerly direction over the Atlantic after passing Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In Puerto Rico, consumers stocked up on water, batteries and other emergency supplies as government officials urged residents to take precautions against a possible strike by Gonzalo, which was forecast to pass to the northeast of the island. "My call to the people is to err on the side of caution,” Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said at a noon press conference as he urged people to stay indoors. While the center of the storm was projected to pass offshore, Puerto Rico remained in its path, said Roberto Garcia, the National Weather Service director in San Juan. “If the system moves south, it will pass very close to Puerto Rico, and sustained tropical force winds will touch the big island and the island municipalities of Vieques and Culebra,” Garcia said. Extra ferry service was provided to Vieques and Culebra on Sunday and Monday prior to the storm to ensure that tourists could leave before the storm. Emergency personnel were placed on alert and storm shelters were being set up at public schools and other facilities. The Explorer of the Seas cruise ship changed schedule to arrive early and spend the night in port. Gonzalo is the seventh named storm of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season. In August, forecasters downgraded their outlook for the season, predicting below-normal activity with seven to 12 named storms and no more than two reaching major hurricane status. A major hurricane is considered to be Category 3 or above with winds hitting at least 111 mph (178 kph). (Reporting by Colleen Jenkins, David Adams and Reuters in San Juan; Editing by Jim Loney and Leslie Adler)
