Florida airports in the US have announced closures in preparation for Hurricane Ian as the storm is forecast to hit the state’s west coast. The Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando theme parks also closed due to the approaching storm.
International airport Pete-Clearwater is closed from 13:00 Tuesday, Tampa Airport has issued a warning that it will close on Tuesday at 17:00, and Orlando on Wednesday at 10:30 am. Southwest Florida International Airport has not yet announced plans to close, flights are still operating.
Miami Air Harbor said it remains open but advised travelers to contact their airline for flight information.
Hurricane Ian, which hit Cuba on Tuesday as a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to bring strong winds to west-central Florida by Wednesday. Tropical showers will hit the Florida Keys and other areas of southern Florida on Tuesday night through Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. A Category 4 storm is currently forecast to approach the coast of Florida on Wednesday.
The wind speed reached 190 km/h on Tuesday afternoon.
“The most powerful hurricane Ian is heading to the southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. Warnings issued for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina,” the Center wrote in its newsletter. “Hurricane conditions are expected along Florida’s west coast Wednesday morning, with tropical storms expected late Tuesday evening.”
Several airlines have issued storm warnings this week.
Among them, Delta Air Lines – the cancellation of flights has been extended until September 30 at a dozen and a half airports in Florida both on the west and east coasts.
Similarly, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue, and Spirit Airlines have restricted flights to airports across the state until at least September 30.
Theme parks and water parks in the region will be closed on Wednesday 28 September and Thursday 29 September.
Hurricane Ian is a storm coming from the Atlantic after Hurricane Fiona swept through just a week ago, causing severe damage to Puerto Rico and affecting other Caribbean islands.