Currently located to 20.5 degrees north and 71 degrees West, Irene is currently moving at 19 km/h (12 mph) along a trajectory West Northwest, its center is currently located 78 km (48 mi) Esat of the Haitian border. This motion is expected to continue through tonight, followed by a turn toward the northwest on wednesday.

This system should pass off the coast this afternoon, although the effects are already widely felt this morning in the north-east of the country, with sustained winds (maximum) of 160 km/h (100 mi/h), with higher gusts. Winds extend outward up to 85 km (50 mi) from the center. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 335 km (205 mi), of the center. The winds should be felt throughout the country.

Rainfall on the South

The National Meteorological Center (CNM) indicates that Irene can produce between 10 to 15 cm of rain in the plains, with excess rainfall in mountainous regions of North and central of Haiti today. A large area of precipitation is developing in the south of the Dominican Republic, giving currently very heavy rain, it could also reach the southern region of Haiti in the coming hours.

Preparations

"Preparations have begun in Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (MINUSTAH) are mobilized," said on Tuesday, Elisabeth Byrs, the spokesperson for OCHA in Geneva, adding that the Minustah is "ready to intervene immediately. "

For her part, the spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP) said that 7,000 tons of food are stored in 35 locations in Haiti, which could cover the needs of the population for 26 days.

140 volunteer firemen are mobilized through several communes of North, specially the communes of Limbé, of Cap-Haitien and of the Grande Rivière du Nord, announced Zéphirin Ardouin, the Departmental Delegate of North.

Following the current trajectory, Irene is located at:

151 km (94 mi) of Cap Haïtien

202 km (126 mi) of Port-de-Paix

211 km (131 mi) of the Gonaïves

236 km (147 mi) of Saint-Marc

259 km (161 mi) of Port-au-Prince

261 km (162 mi) of Môle Saint-Nicolas

See also

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3645-haiti-irene-sustained-winds-of-160-km-h.html

HL/ HaitiLibre