Hurricane Dean now on to the Caribbeans

Hurricane Dean, currently a Category 1 hurricane and the first Atlantic hurricane this season, continues to intensify and now has sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. Its track is expected to take the system through the Netherland Antilles, with Dominica and Martinique bearing a potential direct hit from the hurricane. Dean should continue westward into the Caribbean and has the potential to continue to increase in strength and threaten Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Other surrounding islands will also feel Dean's impact. Hurricane warnings and watches have been posted for parts of the Lesser Antilles, where Dean is expected to hit sometime Friday morning.

According to National Hurricane Center Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, the Amateur Radio station at the NHC in Miami, WX4NHC, plans to activate on Friday, August 17 at 6 AM EDT (1000 UTC) as Hurricane Dean approaches the Lesser Antilles. The VoIP Hurricane Net on EchoLink *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 will activate as well, starting at 2 AM EDT (0600 UTC). This could change based on the speed of Dean.