Hurricane Fabian passes north of Leeward Islands
Typhoon Dujuan loses momentum near Hong Kong
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Satellite image shows Fabian moving Tuesday through the Caribbean.
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(CNN) -- Powerful Hurricane Fabian weakened slightly Tuesday as it rumbled near the eastern Caribbean, bringing rain and elevated tides but little else to Puerto Rico and neighboring islands, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
At 11 p.m. EDT, Fabian -- still a Category Four hurricane -- had maximum sustained winds near 135 mph (215 km/h), a slight decrease from earlier in the day. Forecasters warned that fluctuations in the storm's strength would be common over the next 24 hours.
The center of the storm was about 225 miles (365 km) north-northeast of St. Martin in the northern Leewards. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward as far as 160 miles (260 km), forecasters said.
Fabian was moving to the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h), a track it was expected to maintain for the next day.
Infrared satellite imagery showed the massive swirl approaching the Tropic of Cancer but skirting the eastern islands of the Caribbean.
The hurricane center warned of large swells and dangerous surf conditions for Puerto Rico as well as the northern Leewards and the Virgin Islands. All interests in and around Bermuda were also urged to monitor the hurricane's progress.
CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said the five-day forecast has Fabian taking a northerly turn. The storm could affect the U.S. East Coast from the Carolinas northward, with roughening seas and possibly heavy rains, she said.
Category 4 hurricanes are those with winds between 131 and 155 mph (210 and 248 km/h). They create a storm surge that is generally 13-18 feet (4-5.5 meters) above normal.
When such storms hit land, they can collapse the roofs of small houses; blow down shrubs, trees and signs; destroy mobile homes; and cause extensive damage to doors and windows.
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Surfers on a Hong Kong beach take advantage of storm-whipped waves Tuesday.
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Terrain lower than 10 feet (3 meters) above sea level may be flooded, requiring the evacuation of residential areas as far inland as six miles (10 kilometers).
Meanwhile, half a world away, Hong Kong is cleaning up in the wake of a powerful typhoon that brushed past the territory with gale force winds that shook the city's landmarks.
Packing winds of up to 160 km/h (99 mph), Dujuan sent millions of workers scurrying home and caused massive disruptions at Hong Kong's international airport on Tuesday. But no injuries were reported. (Full story)
In the central Pacific, Tropical Storm Jimena sped away from Hawaii, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in the Hawaiian capital.
