Here is an article from our brother Blog, soyawannaknow.blogspot.com on the TYPHOON that just hit the Philippines.
Typhoon Fengshen has killed 155 people in the Philippines in a torrent of flashfloods and landslides, the head of the Philippines Red Cross, Richard Gordon, told local radio on Sunday.
The death toll from the typhoon was earlier pegged at around 85. It could rise sharply after a ferry with more than 800 people are missing and many feared dead from a ferry that capsized and sank as Typhoon Fengshen continued to batter the Philippines, hampering rescue efforts.
Four bodies were recovered by police rescuers from the MV Princess of Stars, police spokesman Nicanor Bartolome said today in a telephone interview. Three survivors had been found, Senator Richard Gordon, who's also chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said this afternoon at a news briefing. There were 747 passengers and crew aboard, according to the coast guard.
Two navy ships were on their way to the area near Romblon in the central Philippines where the ferry capsized at about 6 p.m. yesterday, and were expected to arrive there at about 2 p.m. local time, Navy spokesman Edgard Arevalo said. Rescue attempts were being hampered by ``gigantic waves, pounding rain and gusting winds,'' he said. The ferry was en route from Manila to Cebu in the central Philippines when it sank.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo demanded to know why the ferry was allowed to sail as the typhoon bore down on the islands. She spoke from the U.S., where she is on an official visit, with civil defense and coast guard authorities in a meeting that was broadcast on nationwide radio. ``Why did you allow it to sail and why was there no ample warning?'' she said.
Elsewhere, 82 people may be dead from flashfloods and landslides caused by the typhoon, although only eight were confirmed, according to National Disaster Coordinating Council Executive Director Anthony Golez. More than 366,000 were affected by the storms and of them, 70,717 had been evacuated, according to an earlier report from the council.
Storm Track
The eye of Fengshen, the seventh storm of the northwestern Pacific cyclone season, was over Tarlac province, northwest of the capital city of Manila, packing winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour at 4 p.m. local time, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. It is moving toward the northwest coast of the main island of Luzon, the weather bureau said.
Storm debris is hampering restoration of power to areas of the capital blacked out when the storm blew through. Manila Electric Co., which serves the capital and nearby provinces, said a 10th of its total network remained without power as of 3 p.m.
Power has been restored to mass transit lines in Manila, the electricity company said.
Some power lines in southern Luzon are still being repaired, the state-run power transmission company said. Service has been fully restored on Cebu and Bohol islands in the central Philippines, according to National Transmission Co.
Flooded Iloilo
At least 30,000 residents of Iloilo City were stranded on their rooftops after the typhoon caused a dam to overflow and sparked power outages across the province, the Philippines Inquirer reported citing Jed Mabilog the city's acting mayor.
In the eastern Bicol region, the storm forced more than 200,000 people to evacuate their homes, the newspaper said, citing a civil defense official.
Arroyo arrived in the U.S. last night for a 10-day visit, according to the report. Yesterday she ordered warnings to be issued to all provinces in the storm's path.
The Philippines is regularly hit by typhoons and tropical storms that gain strength over warm waters of the Pacific before lashing the coast. At least 26 people died in November last year when two typhoons struck the country.
Fengshen is named after the God of Wind in China, according to the Web site of the Hong Kong Observatory, which lists names used for tropical storms and typhoons formed in the northwest Pacific.
Typhoon "Fengshen" passed the east of Metro Manila early Sunday and headed toward central Luzon in the vicinity of Clark in Pampanga province, 70 kilometers north of Manila, said the state weather forecasters Sunday.
"Fengshen" is expected to reach Pangasinan province 200 kilometers north of Manila in the afternoon, said the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. The typhoon packed maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph, and was moving north-northwest at 15 kph.
Metro Manila was invaded by flood waters brought about by typhoon "Fengshen" on Sunday, after one night's heavy wind and rains. All domestic flights for Sunday were canceled and international flights were delayed, according to local radio reports. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said gutter-deep flood waters submerged several thoroughfares in Metro Manila, while some streets in Manila were submerged with knee-deep water. Some parts of the capital region came under power outage for several hours Sunday morning due to toppled electricity posts and damaged transformers.
By Monday morning, "Fengshen" is expected to be 100 km west of Vigan, Ilocos Sur in northern Luzon. By Tuesday morning, "Fengshen" would be 300 kilometers west-northwest of Basco, Batanes in the northernmost Philippines, and by Wednesday morning, it would be 470 km north-northwest of Basco, Batanes.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
HONDA Announces plans for mass produced CLARITY Zero emission Hydrogen car
SOURCE: http://allautomobile.blogspot.com
Honda's new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.
The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.
Japan's third biggest automaker expects to lease out a "few dozen" units this year and about 200 units within three years. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.
Among the first customers are actress Jamie Lee Curtis and filmmaker husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris, film producer Ron Yerxa, as well as businessmen Jon Spallino and Jim Salomon.
"It's so smooth," said Harris, who played villainness Marie Warner on the hit TV show "24" and was flown over by Honda for the ceremony. "It's like a future machine, but it's not."
The FCX Clarity is an improvement of its previous-generation fuel cell vehicle, the FCX, introduced in 2005.
A breakthrough in the design of the fuel cell stack, which is the unit that powers the car's motor, allowed engineers to lighten the body, expand the interior and increase efficiency, Honda said.
The fuel cell draws on energy synthesized through a chemical reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen in the air, and a lithium-ion battery pack provides supplemental power. The FCX Clarity has a range of about 270-miles per tank with hydrogen consumption equivalent to 74 miles per gallon, according to the carmaker.
The 3,600-pound vehicle can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
John Mendel, executive vice president of America Honda Motor Co., said at a morning ceremony it was "an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars."
The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity's release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its website but could only consider those living near stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.
Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan this fall.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a statewide network of hydrogen stations, but progress has been slow.
The state has also recently relaxed a mandate for the number of zero-emission cars it aims to have on roads. By 2014, automakers must now sell 7,500 electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a reduction of 70 percent.
Spallino, who currently drives Honda's older FCX and was also flown in for the ceremony, said he will use the Clarity to drive to and from work and for destinations within the Los Angeles area. The small number of hydrogen fuel stations is the "single limiting factor" for fuel cell vehicles, he said.
"It's more comfortable, and it handles well," said Spallino of Redondo Beach. "It's got everything. You're not sacrificing anything except range."
The world's major automakers have been making heavy investments in fuel cells and other alternative fuel vehicles amid climbing oil prices and concerns about climate change.
Although Honda Motor Co. was the first Japanese automaker to launch a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in 1999, it has been outpaced by the dominance of Toyota's popular Prius.
Toyota announced in May that it has sold more than 1 million Prius hybrids, while both the Honda Insight and the hybrid Accord have been discontinued due to poor sales.
Honda also plans to launch a gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact.
Toyota has announced that it would launch a plug-in hybrid with next-generation lithium-ion batteries by 2010 and a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle later in Japan later this year.
U.S. carmaker General Motors Corp. plans to introduce a Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric vehicle in 2010. It also introduced a test-fleet of hydrogen fuel cell Equinox SUVs.
Honda has no plans for a plug-in electric vehicle. President Takeo Fukui said he does not believe current battery technology is good enough to develop a feasible car.
The company has not revealed how much each car costs to make, and it is unclear when, or if, the car will be available for mass-market sales. Takeo has set a target for 2018, but meeting that goal will depend on whether Honda can significantly lower development and assembly costs as well as market reaction to fuel cells.
Honda's new zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell car rolled off a Japanese production line Monday and is headed to Southern California, where Hollywood is already abuzz over the latest splash in green motoring.
The FCX Clarity, which runs on hydrogen and electricity, emits only water and none of the noxious fumes believed to induce global warming. It is also two times more energy efficient than a gas-electric hybrid and three times that of a standard gasoline-powered car, the company says.
Japan's third biggest automaker expects to lease out a "few dozen" units this year and about 200 units within three years. In California, a three-year lease will run $600 a month, which includes maintenance and collision coverage.
Among the first customers are actress Jamie Lee Curtis and filmmaker husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris, film producer Ron Yerxa, as well as businessmen Jon Spallino and Jim Salomon.
"It's so smooth," said Harris, who played villainness Marie Warner on the hit TV show "24" and was flown over by Honda for the ceremony. "It's like a future machine, but it's not."
The FCX Clarity is an improvement of its previous-generation fuel cell vehicle, the FCX, introduced in 2005.
A breakthrough in the design of the fuel cell stack, which is the unit that powers the car's motor, allowed engineers to lighten the body, expand the interior and increase efficiency, Honda said.
The fuel cell draws on energy synthesized through a chemical reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen in the air, and a lithium-ion battery pack provides supplemental power. The FCX Clarity has a range of about 270-miles per tank with hydrogen consumption equivalent to 74 miles per gallon, according to the carmaker.
The 3,600-pound vehicle can reach speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
John Mendel, executive vice president of America Honda Motor Co., said at a morning ceremony it was "an especially significant day for American Honda as we plant firm footsteps toward the mainstreaming of fuel cell cars."
The biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel cell vehicles are cost and the dearth of hydrogen fuel stations. For the Clarity's release in California, Honda said it received 50,000 applications through its website but could only consider those living near stations in Torrance, Santa Monica and Irvine.
Initially, however, the Clarity will go only to a chosen few starting July and then launch in Japan this fall.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for a statewide network of hydrogen stations, but progress has been slow.
The state has also recently relaxed a mandate for the number of zero-emission cars it aims to have on roads. By 2014, automakers must now sell 7,500 electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, a reduction of 70 percent.
Spallino, who currently drives Honda's older FCX and was also flown in for the ceremony, said he will use the Clarity to drive to and from work and for destinations within the Los Angeles area. The small number of hydrogen fuel stations is the "single limiting factor" for fuel cell vehicles, he said.
"It's more comfortable, and it handles well," said Spallino of Redondo Beach. "It's got everything. You're not sacrificing anything except range."
The world's major automakers have been making heavy investments in fuel cells and other alternative fuel vehicles amid climbing oil prices and concerns about climate change.
Although Honda Motor Co. was the first Japanese automaker to launch a gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the U.S. in 1999, it has been outpaced by the dominance of Toyota's popular Prius.
Toyota announced in May that it has sold more than 1 million Prius hybrids, while both the Honda Insight and the hybrid Accord have been discontinued due to poor sales.
Honda also plans to launch a gas-electric hybrid-only model, as well as hybrid versions of the Civic, the sporty CR-Z and Fit subcompact.
Toyota has announced that it would launch a plug-in hybrid with next-generation lithium-ion batteries by 2010 and a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle later in Japan later this year.
U.S. carmaker General Motors Corp. plans to introduce a Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric vehicle in 2010. It also introduced a test-fleet of hydrogen fuel cell Equinox SUVs.
Honda has no plans for a plug-in electric vehicle. President Takeo Fukui said he does not believe current battery technology is good enough to develop a feasible car.
The company has not revealed how much each car costs to make, and it is unclear when, or if, the car will be available for mass-market sales. Takeo has set a target for 2018, but meeting that goal will depend on whether Honda can significantly lower development and assembly costs as well as market reaction to fuel cells.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
California Company to set up Massive Solar Power Grid in Israel
Energy company BrightSource Energy Inc said it will open a solar "power tower" in Israel this week to test new technology it will use when building power plants next year in California.
California utility PG&E Corp signed contracts with BrightSource in April to buy up to 900 megawatts of solar thermal power in the next few years, enough to power about 630,000 homes.
The move is part of a PG&E push to comply with California's requirement that at least 20 percent of its electricity supplies come from renewable energy by 2010.
A global race is on to find energy alternatives to replace fossil fuels, and entrepreneurs are scrambling for a slice of a clean energy market that analysts estimate was worth nearly $150 billion last year.
BrightSource's development centre, with its 60 meter-high (60 foot) tower and some 1,200 mirrors, sits on about 12,000 square meters (three acres) of Israel's southern Negev Desert, chairman Arnold Goldman said.
BrightSource did not release financial details of the complex, but said its systems are more cost-efficient than other solar power plants.
The new power tower, which is capable of generating 1.5 megawatts, will not produce electricity for public use, but rather test the technologies that will power future plants, including a 100 megawatt plant in California's Mojave Desert scheduled to be completed by 2011, Kroizer said.
The 100 megawatt plant will be about 50 times larger that the Negev centre.
BrightSource CEO John Woolard said competitors, like Spanish building and energy group Acciona, were still using similar technologies to those used by BrightSource 20 years ago.
"The new power tower based technology, we don't see any serious competition, yet, in that area," Woolard told a news conference in Jerusalem.
HIGHER TEMPERATURE, HIGHER PRESSURE
Solar power towers, which have been used for decades, use mirrors to reflect and intensify sunlight, much like using a magnifying glass to start a fire. Traditionally, the system contains rows of large, curved mirrors, sometimes reaching 100 meters in length.
The sunlight is aimed at a boiler on top of the tower and is hot enough to boil the water into steam that passes through turbines and produces electricity.
The new power tower is surrounded by a system of smaller, flat mirrors, each with an enhanced guidance system to track and reflect the sun more effectively than the trough-like systems, Goldman said.
"It takes huge amounts of electronics and controls and gears. The electronics industry has driven those costs down so much that you can do that today," Goldman said. It also requires about a third of the steel and cement, he said.
BrightSource's mirrors reflect about 50 percent of the sunlight, while standard systems reflect 35-40 percent, Goldman said. As a result, the temperature and pressure in the boiler is higher and energy is produced more effectively.
"Historic troughs can put the equivalent of about 20 suns on the tower. We have a maximum of 600 suns," Goldman said.
Woolard also said the new power tower works at half the cost of photo-voltaic solar panel plants because it produces energy about twice as many hours in a year.
California utility PG&E Corp signed contracts with BrightSource in April to buy up to 900 megawatts of solar thermal power in the next few years, enough to power about 630,000 homes.
The move is part of a PG&E push to comply with California's requirement that at least 20 percent of its electricity supplies come from renewable energy by 2010.
A global race is on to find energy alternatives to replace fossil fuels, and entrepreneurs are scrambling for a slice of a clean energy market that analysts estimate was worth nearly $150 billion last year.
BrightSource's development centre, with its 60 meter-high (60 foot) tower and some 1,200 mirrors, sits on about 12,000 square meters (three acres) of Israel's southern Negev Desert, chairman Arnold Goldman said.
BrightSource did not release financial details of the complex, but said its systems are more cost-efficient than other solar power plants.
The new power tower, which is capable of generating 1.5 megawatts, will not produce electricity for public use, but rather test the technologies that will power future plants, including a 100 megawatt plant in California's Mojave Desert scheduled to be completed by 2011, Kroizer said.
The 100 megawatt plant will be about 50 times larger that the Negev centre.
BrightSource CEO John Woolard said competitors, like Spanish building and energy group Acciona, were still using similar technologies to those used by BrightSource 20 years ago.
"The new power tower based technology, we don't see any serious competition, yet, in that area," Woolard told a news conference in Jerusalem.
HIGHER TEMPERATURE, HIGHER PRESSURE
Solar power towers, which have been used for decades, use mirrors to reflect and intensify sunlight, much like using a magnifying glass to start a fire. Traditionally, the system contains rows of large, curved mirrors, sometimes reaching 100 meters in length.
The sunlight is aimed at a boiler on top of the tower and is hot enough to boil the water into steam that passes through turbines and produces electricity.
The new power tower is surrounded by a system of smaller, flat mirrors, each with an enhanced guidance system to track and reflect the sun more effectively than the trough-like systems, Goldman said.
"It takes huge amounts of electronics and controls and gears. The electronics industry has driven those costs down so much that you can do that today," Goldman said. It also requires about a third of the steel and cement, he said.
BrightSource's mirrors reflect about 50 percent of the sunlight, while standard systems reflect 35-40 percent, Goldman said. As a result, the temperature and pressure in the boiler is higher and energy is produced more effectively.
"Historic troughs can put the equivalent of about 20 suns on the tower. We have a maximum of 600 suns," Goldman said.
Woolard also said the new power tower works at half the cost of photo-voltaic solar panel plants because it produces energy about twice as many hours in a year.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Massive Flooding in Midwest kills several and forces evacuation
Fierce weekend storms with tornadoes and heavy rain pounded the Midwest, where at least seven people were killed, many buildings were damaged, and hundreds of people fled their homes because of flooding.
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Rescuers in boats continued to pluck people from rising waters in Indiana yesterday, a day after more than 10 inches of rain deluged much of the state.
In Iowa, pumps and thousands of sandbags were sent to the Iowa City area, where officials fear a reservoir could top a spillway and flood the city of about 63,000 by tomorrow.
The Indiana flooding killed at least one person, a man who drowned in his vehicle about 50 miles south of Indianapolis, the state Department of Homeland Security said. Another person was reported missing after falling off a boat on Mill Creek, about 30 miles southwest of the capital.
In Michigan, two delivery workers for The Grand Rapids Press drowned early yesterday when their car became submerged in a creek that washed out a road near Lake Michigan in Saugatuck Township.
Two other people in the state were killed by falling trees, one man drowned, and a woman died when high winds blew a recreational vehicle on top of her, authorities said.
At least one tornado hit the Omaha area with little to no warning as people slept yesterday morning, damaging several dozen homes and businesses. No major injuries were reported.
Paul Higgins, 87, said the front door blew open and he was knocked down when he checked on the storm about 2:30 a.m. "It was like a fog. So much stuff blowing around," he said.
Higgins said he and his wife sought shelter in their basement, emerging to find a tree against a house across the street and a house missing its roof.
Iowa saw some of its worst flooding in more than a decade, Governor Chet Culver said as he declared a state of emergency in nearly a third of the state's 99 counties.
A levee broke along the Winnebago River in Mason City, and its water treatment plant was shut down.
Officials said water levels on the Iowa River at Iowa City could be like those during the historic floods of 1993, which put much of the state underwater.
In areas of Minnesota near the Iowa border, officials asked residents in the Winnebago Valley to leave. In Wisconsin, houses near the swollen Kickapoo River in La Farge were evacuated.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security said 23 of the state's 92 counties were declared disasters. Officials said hundreds of people evacuated from houses and hospitals in western Indiana.
In Morgan County, southwest of Indianapolis, about 150 residents were taken out of a flooded nursing home.
Flood waters moving south toward the Ohio River led officials to move more than 250 patients and staff from Columbus Regional Hospital in southern Indiana.
Heavy rains are turning to major flood warnings in North Iowa. Steve O'Niell Director of Cerro Gordo Franklin County Emergency Management tells KIMT News 3 that flooding is becoming a problem in virtually every city in Cerro Gordo County.
In Mason City, The Winnebago River is at 18.07 feet as of 1:00pm. This exceeds 1933 record river crest of 15.7 feet. It is expected to crest at over 19 feet Sunday afternoon. The water is already flowing over the levies in Mason City and is blocking several streets. This would be a record level for the Winnebago River.
"If you live close to a river or stream, don't wait for someone to tell you to leave, evacuate when necessary" said O'Niell.
East Park in Mason City is under water and a residential area to the northwest of the park along the Winnebago River is flooded. County Road B20 is closed in areas because of high water. Cheslea Creek is overflowing its banks and the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Mason City could flood.
Police and fire officers have evacuated people from Autumn Park Apartments on South Pierce Avenue. Right now, emergency management has set up an evacuation shelter at Holy Family Catholic Church. The Salvation Army is expected to open a shelter in Mason City later Sunday. Flooding is also reported in the Eastbrook area of Mason City and 17th and 19th Streets Northeast. Highway 65 is closed south of Manly due to high water.
Worth, Mitchell and Wright Counties also tell KIMT News 3 that several county roads are washed out. She Wroth County Sheriff tells KIMT News 3 to urge travelers to drive with extreme caution and don't go out on the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Emergency management officials confirm boat rescue operations are under way at Camp of the Woods in Rock Falls. Reports at the scene say several campers are partially submerged by flood waters and rescue personnel are checking the campers and vehicles at the park.
A flood warning continued this morning for the Root River near Houston and affecting Houston County and the south branch of the Root River at Lanesboro affecting Fillmore and Houston County, the National Weather Service said.
Some residents of Houston County, in southeastern Minnesota, were "strongly encouraged" to evacuate to higher ground Sunday night because of flooding and mudslides after heavy weekend rains.
Houston County Emergency Manager Kurt Kuhlers said a voluntary evacuation was under way for some parts of the county. Authorities reported no injuries as of late Sunday.
The river is expected to rise above flood stage this afternoon and crest by around midnight, the weather service said.
The flood warning will remain in effect until flood waters drop below flood stage.
Meanwhile, communities in northern Iowa also were encountering record flooding, particularly along the Upper Iowa River, just south of Houston County.
"They're so high we're unable to get gauge readings," said meteorologist Todd Shea with the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wis. "They've gone off the scale."
The Houston County Emergency Management Department sent out a civil emergency message containing the evacuation advisory. The weather service continued its flood warning this morning.
The Houston County Sheriff's Department said Sunday evening that the area had received rain for about 24 hours and expected 10 to 12 more hours of rain into this morning. Several areas were flooded, and many roads were washed out and closed, a dispatcher said.
Mudslides were reported along Hwy. 26 south of Brownsville and on roads south of Spring Grove.
Root River flood warning
Southwestern portions of Houston County had received an unofficial total of 10.1 inches of rain over the weekend, pushing Root River tributaries well beyond flood stage but not yet to unprecedented levels, Shea said.
"Last August we saw pretty historic flash flooding across southeast Minnesota into southern Wisconsin," Shea said. "I don't know if this is an exact duplicate, but it's kind of in a similar nature."
Houston was one of seven southeastern Minnesota counties declared federal disaster areas after flash floods in August. Seven people died in the flooding, which also destroyed or heavily damaged 1,500 homes.
The trouble this time, however, is not flash floods but rather unusually swollen rivers, Shea said.
Kuhlers said temporary shelters were set up at the city auditorium in Caledonia and at the community center in Brownsville. As of Sunday evening, 55 people had gone to the Caledonia auditorium and six people had reported to the center in Brownsville.
John Allen, a Red Cross official, said that most of the evacuees were campers and that many people found rides to area houses.
A flash-flood watch for southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa and west-central Wisconsin was expected to remain in effect until midnight Sunday.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty planned to tour the flooded area in Houston County today with Sheriff Doug Ely, as well as view last week's storm damage in Hubbard County.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Hurricane Arthur relents slightly but is still a threat
Tropical Storm Arthur weakened to a tropical depression Saturday after soaking the Yucatan Peninsula, but still threatened to cause dangerous flooding and mudslides in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the governments of Belize and Mexico discontinued all warnings related to Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
At about 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the center of the storm was located inland about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of Campeche, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph (56 kph) and was moving west-southwest at about 8 mph (13 kph).
Forecasters predicted it would remain inland over Mexico and stay well away from the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The hurricane center said Arthur could rain as much as 5 to 10 inches (125 to 250 millimeters) across portions of Belize, Guatemala and southeastern Mexico, with isolated amounts up to 15 inches (380 millimeters) possible. It warned of potential life-threatening floods and mudslides.
Arthur formed Saturday afternoon — one day before the official start of the season June 1 — and quickly made landfall at the Belize-Mexico border before heading west.
It dumped rain as far south as Belize City and kicked up strong surf on the popular tourist island of Ambergis Caye, ruining some travelers' vacations.
"I just came to lay in the sun and get a nice tan, but so far there hasn't been any sunshine," said Debbie Fountaineau, a police officer from Lake Charles, Louisiana, who arrived on the island Thursday.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that the governments of Belize and Mexico discontinued all warnings related to Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
At about 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the center of the storm was located inland about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south of Campeche, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph (56 kph) and was moving west-southwest at about 8 mph (13 kph).
Forecasters predicted it would remain inland over Mexico and stay well away from the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The hurricane center said Arthur could rain as much as 5 to 10 inches (125 to 250 millimeters) across portions of Belize, Guatemala and southeastern Mexico, with isolated amounts up to 15 inches (380 millimeters) possible. It warned of potential life-threatening floods and mudslides.
Arthur formed Saturday afternoon — one day before the official start of the season June 1 — and quickly made landfall at the Belize-Mexico border before heading west.
It dumped rain as far south as Belize City and kicked up strong surf on the popular tourist island of Ambergis Caye, ruining some travelers' vacations.
"I just came to lay in the sun and get a nice tan, but so far there hasn't been any sunshine," said Debbie Fountaineau, a police officer from Lake Charles, Louisiana, who arrived on the island Thursday.
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