TS Irene on track for East Coast

[Guest]

Irene moves closer to East Coast

Strengthening tropical storm likely will spare Bermuda

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- A renewed Tropical Storm Irene became better organized Thursday and was gradually intensifying as it moved closer to the East Coast, forecasters said.

Irene could become a hurricane by Friday and it was expected to continue over the next five days toward the U.S. coastline somewhere from South Carolina to New Jersey, according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

"A possible U.S. landfall by [Tuesday] can not be ruled out at this time," hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart said.

Irene had top sustained winds near 50 mph (85 km/h). To be classified a hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, a storm must have sustained winds of at least 74 mph.

It regained strength Wednesday as it moved over warmer waters where the conditions became more favorable for organization.

At 5 p.m. ET, Irene was centered about 950 miles (1,520 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and was moving west-northwest near 15 mph (24 km/h), forecasters said.

The same advisory put it about 460 miles (740 kilometers) south of Bermuda.

Tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 60 miles (95 kilometers) from the center.

Irene should stay well south of Bermuda, passing 330 miles (530 kilometers) southwest of the archipelago at its closest point around midday Saturday, said James Morrison, a meteorologist with the Bermuda Weather Service.

The south side of Bermuda should get high seas and some rain Friday and Saturday but not much wind, he said.

Irene broke records Sunday when it became the earliest ninth named storm in the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and ends November 30.

Typically only two named storms have formed by this time in the season.

It weakened into a tropical depression Monday, but regained tropical storm strength Wednesday.

[Guest]

I think it would be good if we got some rain, we need the rain badly cause of this drought that we are in. The more rain the better but not to much.

[CC7519 3]

pat we are not in a drought it is just know one shouldn't have any camp fires or for that matter no kind of fires at all because the ground is so dry.

captpcvayc

[llm60 0]

Irene is moving out to sea, but we are overdue for one of these storms and when we get one i dont know if the area is prepared for such a storm!!!

[BFD1054 1,552]

I was in Outer Banks, North Carolina last week, so thank god this storm went out to sea! We had really great weather while i was down there. Some sick waves though.