Tropical storm warning ends in hurricane-battered Bahamas

The Bahamas has discontinued a tropical storm warning as Humberto shifts away from the island nation stricken by Hurricane Dorian.

Tropical Storm Humberto is expected to become a hurricane by Sunday night or early Monday morning, but by the time it intensifies to that strength, it won't threaten land, the US National Hurricane Center reported. 

However, authorities cautioned that the storm could still cause dangerous swells late this weekend and into next week in the northwestern Bahamas and along the coasts of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.

Carl Smith, a spokesman for the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), had warned of additional repercussions for a nation still struggling to come to terms with the devastation caused by Dorian, classified as a category 5 hurricane. "The weather system will slow down logistics. Fuel and water remain the biggest needs in Abaco."

The death toll from Dorian now stands at 52, although officials have said they expect it to increase significantly once all the bodies are recovered. Some 1,300 people are still missing.

UN blames climate change

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered his support to the battered islands as he said the warnings of climate change must be heeded.

He tweeted: "I've come to the Bahamas to express my solidarity with the Bahamian people after the onslaught of #HurricaneDorian, and to discuss ways we can continue supporting them."

"Hospitals are either in ruins, or overwhelmed," the UN chief continued. "Schools have been turned into rubble. Thousands of people will continue to need help with food, water and shelter."

"In our new era of climate crisis, hurricanes and storms are turbo-charged," he said. "They happen with greater intensity and frequency, a direct result of warmer oceans."

"Science is telling us: this is just the start. Without urgent action, climate disruption is only going to get worse. Every week brings news of climate-related devastation."

jsi, mmc/aw (AFP, AP)

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