'Rapidly intensifying' Hurricane Ian to bring 'catastrophic' storm surge to Florida - and 'life-threatening' flooding - Sky News

"Rapidly intensifying" Hurricane Ian has hit Florida's southwest coast with warnings it is set to cause a "catastrophic" storm surge and "life-threatening" flooding.

US President Joe Biden said Ian is incredibly dangerous, and he urged residents to obey all warnings related to the category four storm.

More than two million people were under evacuation orders.

Image: Hurricane Ian as it headed towards southwest Florida. Pic: NOAA

'This storm is bigger than Florida' - Hurricane Ian latest

Ian's winds have increased to almost 155mph as conditions "rapidly deteriorate" along the coast.

The storm surge could be as high as 12-18ft (3-5 metres) above ground level in some areas, with "destructive waves".

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It is expected to dump 12-18in (30-45cm) of rain across a broad area including Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville in the state's northeast corner.

'Urgently follow evacuation orders'

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Among the places set to be worst affected in the southwest are from Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbour, and residents "should urgently follow any evacuation orders in effect", said the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

And hurricane-force winds were predicted to extend well inland along near the core (innermost region of the storm).

An extreme wind warning was in place for Englewood, Rotonda and Grove City until 2pm local time (7pm UK time) and people have been told to treat the winds as if a tornado was approaching by moving to an "interior room now".

The Twitter account of NHC Storm Surge wrote: "Eyewall of Ian moving onshore! Catastrophic storm surge along with destructive waves are expected."

The eye of a storm is typically 30km (19 miles) in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall where the most severe weather and highest winds happen.

The tropical storm conditions began in the southern state on Wednesday morning local time and the severe conditions are expected to continue overnight.

Image: Hurricane Ian's predicted path over the coming days

Heavy rainfall will spread across the peninsula throughout Thursday and reach parts of the southeast later this week and over the weekend.

About two-thirds of Florida is in the peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

The NHC added: "Widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flooding is expected across portions of central Florida with considerable flooding in southern Florida, northern Florida, southeastern Georgia and coastal South Carolina.

"Widespread, prolonged moderate to major river flooding expected across central Florida."

'A nasty, nasty two days'

Mr Biden said he had spoken to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday about Ian, adding that the federal government had met every request for help from the coastal state.

"This is going to be a nasty day, two days," Mr DeSantis said. "Probably, we think now, it will be exiting the peninsula sometime on Thursday."

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Hurricane Ian tears across Cuba
Hurricane Ian leaves millions in Cuba without electricity

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Hurricane brings storms to Florida

Meanwhile, Cuban officials said they have begun to restore some power after Ian knocked out electricity to the entire island while devastating some of the country's most important tobacco farms when it hit the island's western tip as a major storm.

Ian made landfall there on Tuesday as a category three storm, causing flooding, as houses were damaged and trees toppled in the strong winds.

Tens of thousands of people were evacuated and others fled the area ahead of its arrival.

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2022-09-28 16:53:34Z
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Russia tries to stem tide of draft dodgers fleeing to Georgia - The Times

Russia has restricted entry into its border region with Georgia after tens of thousands of men fled to the former Soviet state to escape the Kremlin’s mobilisation drive.

Officials in the Russian region of North Ossetia, which borders Georgia, ordered a limit on car travel to the republic on Wednesday. Sergei Menyaylo, head of the mountainous region, has put it on high alert.

As many as 10,000 Russians have entered Georgia every day since Putin’s declaration of “partial mobilisation” a week ago, Georgia’s interior ministry said. Unlike other border states Georgia has no visa requirements for Russian citizens.

Fears that Russia would close its borders have yet to materialise but it has already sought to stymie the flow of by setting up a draft office

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2022-09-28 16:00:00Z
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Russia probably bombed Nord Stream pipeline with underwater drone, says defence source - The Times

A suspected Russian sabotage attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines was “probably premeditated and planned for” using an explosive device dropped into the sea weeks before it was detonated, according to a British defence source.

The European Union and Nato have described the large blasts in the Baltic Sea as a “deliberate act” of sabotage, with Russia labelled by Poland and Ukraine as the culprit, even as investigations continue.

The concrete and steel pipelines were torn open by apparent underwater explosions as strong as a minor earthquake, leading to three large gas leaks east of the Danish island of Bornholm. The blasts occurred in international waters, just beyond the territories of Denmark and Norway, and shockwaves were detected as far as 800 miles away.

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2022-09-28 12:30:00Z
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Russian-held sham referendums in occupied Ukraine opt for annexation - Financial Times

Voters in four Russian-occupied provinces of southern and eastern Ukraine overwhelmingly agreed to their regions joining Russia in referendums regarded as sham plebiscites by Kyiv and its western partners.

The ballots showed support in Luhansk at 98 per cent, Zaporizhzhia at 93 per cent and Kherson at 87 per cent after a full count, Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reported. In Donetsk, approval was 99 per cent.

The hastily arranged vote took place over five days, with election officials, security forces and Russian soldiers going from house to house to ensure residents took part. Ukrainian officials denounced the exercise as voting under the barrel of a gun and reported instances of men being threatened with detention if they did not participate.

The results, which were never in doubt given the Kremlin’s orchestration of the snap vote, pave the way for a formal annexation of the four provinces as soon as this week.

None of the four territories are fully under Moscow’s control and Kyiv has vowed to continue its counteroffensives to take them back. President Vladimir Putin last week said Russia would use “all the means at its disposal” to defend the territories incorporated into Russia, alluding to the possible deployment of nuclear weapons to preserve what he sees as his country’s territorial integrity.

Putin also announced a call-up of 300,000 reservists and men of military age last week, in the first wartime mobilisation since the second world war. The order triggered protests and prompted tens of thousands of military aged Russian men to flee the country, many of them to Georgia and Kazakhstan.

Once the referendum results are in, Russia’s lower house of parliament will convene to vote on whether the regions should be incorporated into the federation. Analysts expected approval to be swift.

A final sign-off by Putin will be required. The Kremlin has signalled that he could address the nation on Friday, though it has not confirmed the event.

The Russian-appointed head of occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia said on Tuesday night that his region had de facto separated from Ukraine and was applying to join Russia. He is expected to visit Moscow this week to appeal to Putin to incorporate the province into Russia.

However, Valentina Matvienko, speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, which would also need to consider any bill about annexing the Ukrainian regions, seemed to suggest a more drawn-out timeline. She said a session related to the outcomes of the referendums could be held on October 4, Ria reported.

Kyiv’s western allies reiterated their support for Ukrainian sovereignty and said they would never recognise the results of the referendum or a Russian annexation of Ukraine’s territory.

Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, said Washington would act quickly to sanction Russia should it follow through with any annexation of occupied areas.

“We are prepared and we will impose additional severe and swift costs on Russia for proceeding with the annexation,” Blinken said. “We will never recognise the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia.”

Ukrainian officials have warned that annexation could be a precursor to more extensive conscription of local men to fight alongside the Russian army. Some residents in the occupied territories also feared it could lead to a ban on the hryvnia, Ukraine’s currency

Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R Politik consultancy, said Putin would seek to “copy the Crimean model”, referring to Russia’s annexation of the peninsula following a similar snap vote in 2014.

“Military conscription offices . . . will then redouble their efforts to catch the defenders of the expanded Fatherland,” Stanovaya said. Since Putin launched mobilisation last week, a wave of discontent has swept Russia, with tens of thousands attempting to hide from conscription or fleeing the country.

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2022-09-28 05:20:50Z
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Russia accused of Nord Stream sabotage over gas leaks in Baltic Sea - The Times

Russia has been accused of blowing up two of its own gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea with the aim of destabilising Europe in the midst of its energy war.

The pipelines were torn open by apparent underwater explosions as strong as a minor earthquake, leading to three large gas leaks east of the Danish island of Bornholm. Shockwaves were detected as far as 800 miles away.

Both pipes are leaking gas into the Baltic Sea after suffering severe damage, scuppering any remaining hopes of Nord Stream 1 returning to service this winter.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said last night that the leaks were caused by sabotage and warned of the “strongest possible response” should active European energy infrastructure be

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2022-09-28 07:25:00Z
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Hurricane Ian leaves 11 million in Cuba without electricity as it heads towards Florida - Sky News

Hurricane Ian has knocked out power across all of Cuba, leaving 11 million people without electricity, after it slammed into the island's western tip.

Cuba's Electric Union said power was initially knocked out for about one million people in the country's western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed.

The hurricane made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the island's western end and devastated Pinar del Rio province, destroying some of the country's most important tobacco farms.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated or had fled before Ian caused flooding and damaged houses.

The US National Hurricane Center said Cuba suffered "significant wind and storm surge impacts" when the hurricane struck with top sustained winds of 125mph.

Image: A man carries two children in the rain in search of shelter after Hurricane Ian flooded their home in Pinar del Rio. Pic: AP

The hurricane was expected to get even stronger over the warm Gulf of Mexico as it approaches the southwestern coast of Florida, where 2.5 million people have been ordered to leave.

Residents and holidaymakers have been warned not to be complacent amid fears the hurricane could be upgraded to Category 4, with 140mph winds expected to affect the whole state.

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At an emergency briefing at the White House on Tuesday, Deanne Criswell, spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said: "The storm surge is going to be significant, and you put 20 inches of rain on top of that….

"Take this very seriously, do not underestimate the potential this storm can bring.

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"We are talking about impacts in parts of Florida that haven't seen a major direct impact in nearly 100 years."

Image: Damaged power lines in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. Pic: AP

Image: A satellite image of Hurricane Ian taken at 4.26pm EDT on Tuesday. Pic: NOAA via AP

Read more:
Hurricane Ian: 'This is no joke'
Florida emergency declared with Ian set to strengthen

Ian is heading towards the Florida Keys, a popular holiday destination, made up of many islands, some less than a mile wide.

Image: Destruction in Pinar del Rio

Image: People in Key West - and wider Florida - have been told to take the warnings seriously and shelter. Pic: AP

US President Joe Biden cancelled a planned trip on Tuesday and called mayors in three Florida cities to assure them federal support is ready to deploy food, fuel and shelter.

A total of 29 emergency shelters have already been set up by FEMA personnel sent to the state on Monday.

Image: One of Cuba's famed vintage cars is stopped in its tracks by Ian

Image: Traffic builds along the interstate out of Tampa as people try to escape before the hurricane approaches. Pic: AP

Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has declared a state of emergency and urged residents to prepare.

He warned of "broad impacts throughout the state" and said the weather system brought with it a risk of a "dangerous storm surge, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, strong winds, hazardous sea, and isolated tornadic activity".

Flooding is predicted for much of the Florida peninsula midweek, and then heavy rainfall is possible for the southeast of the US later this week.

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2022-09-28 04:16:16Z
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Denmark, Germany and Poland warn of 'sabotage' after Nord Stream leaks - Financial Times

Suspicious leaks on two Russian gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea are likely the result of sabotage, officials in Denmark, Germany and Poland have warned, heightening concerns over the vulnerability of Europe’s energy infrastructure.

Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen said sabotage could not be ruled out as the cause of leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which have been at the centre of the energy crisis between Russia and Europe.

“It is too early to conclude yet, but it is an extraordinary situation,” she said. “There are three leaks and therefore it is difficult to imagine that it could be accidental.”

She later said that there was no increased military threat to her country. “These are deliberate actions, not an accident,” she added.

German officials said there was concern in Berlin that the sudden loss of pressure in both pipelines could be the result of a “targeted attack”. They added that Russia’s involvement could “not be excluded”, but said Germany was not involved in the investigation being run by Denmark and Sweden.

The leaks come as Russian gas supplies to Europe have dwindled as part of President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to deter support for Ukraine. The leaks, which will not directly affect Russian gas flows because the pipelines were not operating, coincide with the inauguration of a pipeline that will deliver Norwegian gas through Denmark to Poland for the first time.

“We don’t know all the details of what happened, but we see clearly that it’s an act of sabotage related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine,” Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Twitter: “‘Gas leak’ from NS-1 is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards [the] EU. Russia wants to destabilise [the] economic situation in Europe . . . The best response and security investment — tanks for Ukraine. Especially German ones.”

Asked if sabotage was the cause of the leak, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters “no version can be excluded now”, Russian agency Interfax reported. “Obviously, the pipe has been damaged somehow. What the cause was — before the results of the investigation appear — no version can be excluded,” he added.

Sweden’s maritime administration on Tuesday reported two leaks in the Russian Nord Stream 1 pipeline close to the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. That report came hours after Denmark’s energy agency said there was a separate leak, also close to Bornholm, on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which Germany effectively cancelled shortly before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Nord Stream 2 had been filled with gas by Russia at the end of last year in preparation for its planned start-up, while Nord Stream 1 was transporting gas to Germany as recently as the start of this month.

Danish authorities said the gas bubbles in the Baltic Sea measured about 1km in diameter. Sweden and Denmark warned ships to avoid the area.

Sweden’s National Seismology Centre said it had detected two powerful blasts the day before in the area of the gas leaks. “There is no doubt that these were explosions,” Björn Lund, a member of the seismic network, told Swedish state broadcaster SVT.

Terje Aasland, Norway’s oil and energy minister, said as the leaks looked like sabotage, the Nordic country was paying close attention to security, on the day that it opened a new gas pipeline to Poland.

Norway’s petroleum safety authority had warned on Monday that several oil and gas companies had recently complained of unidentified drones close to their offshore facilities. In June, a Russian warship twice violated Danish territorial waters near Bornholm.

Gas bubbles from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline leak reach the surface of the Baltic Sea near Bornholm © Danish Defence Command/Handout/Reuters

Energy analysts said it was not clear who would stand to benefit from the leaks at a time when neither line was operational. But some suspect a possible connection to the new gas pipeline link. Frederiksen was in Poland on Tuesday for the opening ceremony.

“The leak on Nord Stream 2 is very close to the new Baltic pipe that will bring Norwegian gas to Poland for the first time . . . so there’s some heavy symbolism,” said Tom Marzec-Manser at energy consultancy ICIS. “For EU gas imports, it’s a new dawn for Norway and twilight for Russia.”

Ukraine has long opposed the Nord Stream pipelines, arguing that they were designed to weaken its position as one of the main conduits for Russian gas into Europe. Russian gas has continued to flow through Ukraine even after the invasion, but Moscow halted supplies through Nord Stream 1 last month, intensifying Europe’s energy crisis.

James Huckstepp at S&P Global Platts said the leaks increased uncertainty in the energy market. “The probability of Nord Stream 1 coming back before the end of the year has essentially dropped from 1 per cent to zero per cent,” he said. “But there remain concerns about the remaining gas flows through Ukraine and whether they could see reductions later this year.”

Henning Gloystein at Eurasia Group said the pipelines “are designed to avert accidental damage”. But he added: “Given both lines were still pressured and each has the capacity to pipe around 165mn cubic metres of methane-heavy gas a day, leaks of this size are a severe safety and environmental hazard.”

Nord Stream, the pipelines’ Swiss-based operator whose majority shareholder is Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, said the incidents were “unprecedented”, but suggested most of the leaking methane would dissolve in the water.

Video: How Putin held Europe hostage over energy | FT Energy Source

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2022-09-27 18:01:05Z
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