Hurricane Hanna Is Next

The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Hanna to a hurricane as it brings waves, rain, and blustery winds to the Turks and Caicos islands, the AP reports. Hurricane warnings—meaning the storm is expected to arrive within 24 hours—were issued for the island chain and the central and southeastern Bahamas today, and forecasters warned that the storm could strike the US mainland.

Meteorologists say Hanna could hit anywhere from Miami to the outer banks of North Carolina later in the week. At 1:30 pm EDT, Hanna's center was near Mayaguana Island in the southeastern Bahamas. Hanna is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and comes on the heels of Gustav, which is battering the Gulf Coast today. (More hurricane stories.)