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Super-storm Ike prowls in Atlantic

04/09/2008

Tropical storm Ike has become the third major hurricane of the Atlantic season after strengthening to a category four storm.

Ike's growth from a tropical storm to the second-most powerful hurricane took place over just several hours, the United States national hurricane centre (NHC) said.

The storm is far from the Caribbean or the American mainland however, currently 980km north-east of the Leeward Islands, moving west at 28kmph with wind speeds of up to 215kmph.

Ike's rapid strengthening comes as tropical storm Hanna devastated Haiti, whose president Rene Preval has warned of an "extraordinary catastrophe".

Hanna, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm but is expected to strengthen as it passes north, has killed at least 60 in Haiti.

The island suffered the brunt of Hurricane Gustav, which also killed eight people in Louisiana, bringing the death toll to 80.

Hanna is due to hit the North Carolina/Virginia border this weekend.