MIAMI – Hurricane Ian, with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour (140 km/h), is moving from the Atlantic towards the coast of South Carolina, where it will make landfall this Friday, reported the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Since its formation in the central Caribbean last weekend, Ian, the fourth hurricane of 2022, has left a trail of destruction, especially in western Cuba and Florida.
This Friday, after having crossed the Florida peninsula from west to east to reach the Atlantic, Ian is located about 105 miles (140 km) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and 175 miles (295 km) south-southwest Cape Fears, North Carolina.
The hurricane is moving at 9 miles per hour (15 km/h) heading north and may cause coastal storm surge of the Carolinas with sea level rise of up to a maximum of seven feet (15.2 meters), according to the NHC.
Watches and advisories issued by the NHC range from northeast Florida to North Carolina.
An increase in forward speed is expected this morning, followed by of a turn to the north-northwest for tonight.
On the trajectory graph Ian’s center will approach and will reach the coast of South Carolina today and then make landfall across eastern South Carolina and central North Carolina tonight and Saturday.
After landfall, will experience rapid weakening and Ian is forecast to become an extratropical low pressure system over North Carolina tonight or Saturday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward through 85 miles (110 km) and those with storm force tropical l go up to 485 miles (780 kilometers).
In addition to storm surge, Ian is going to dump heavy rains, with the risk of flooding and river overflows, and waves and currents in the sea.
There is also a risk of tornadoes in the areas where it will pass.