Wilma upgraded to catastrophic Category 5

WASHINGTON - Hurricane Wilma, which triggered mudslides that killed up to 10 people in Haiti, has strengthened to a catastrophic Category 5 storm as it approaches western Cuba and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

The season's record-tying 21st storm, fueled by the warm waters of the northwest Caribbean Sea, strengthened alarmingly as it headed into the Gulf of Mexico on a path expected to lead across storm-weary southern Florida by Saturday.

An Air Force plane measured maximum sustained winds of near 175 mph (280 km/h) from the vicious storm, with higher gusts, the centre reported at 5 am (1am NZT) yesterday.

The reconnaissance aircraft measured an estimated minimum air pressure of 884 MB, the lowest pressure ever observed in a in the Atlantic basin, the centre reported, but cautioned that this reading should "be used with caution" until confirmed.

A hurricane watch was in effect for the east coast of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula from Cabo Catoche to Punta Gruesa, the provinces of Matanzas westward through Pinar del Rio in Cuba and the Cayman Islands, the hurricane center reported.

The hurricane centre warned of total rainfall accumulations up to 25 inches in mountainous terrain across Cuba, and of 10 to 15 inches elsewhere in the storm's path.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from the Honduras Nicaragua border west to Cabo Camaron, with heavy rainfall expected in areas hit by severe flooding from Hurricane Stan.

As of 5 am EDT, the centre of the storm was near latitude 17.2 north, longitude 82.5 west, or about 170 miles south-southwest of Grand Cayman and about 365 miles southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, according to the centre's website.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 15 miles and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 160 miles , the hurricane centre reported.

Wilma was the 21st tropical cyclone of the Atlantic hurricane season, tying the record for the most storms set in 1933. It was also the 12th hurricane and tied the record for most hurricanes in a season set in 1969. The season still has six weeks left to run.

Florida in Wilma's sights

The storm was moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 km/h). A turn toward the northwest was expected in the next 24 hours.

Wilma was not expected to threaten New Orleans or Mississippi, where Hurricane Katrina killed more than 1,200 people and caused more than $30 billion in insured damage in August. Katrina was followed in September by Hurricane Rita.

Wilma was also expected to miss the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas facilities still reeling from Katrina and Rita.

But frozen orange juice futures closed at a six-year high on Tuesday amid fears Wilma could ravage Florida groves that had just begun to rebound from the hurricanes that destroyed 40 per cent of last year's crop.

"We have not really begun harvesting, so much of the crop is still on the trees, which obviously is a concern for growers," said Casey Pace, spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Mutual growers' association.

Florida was hit by four hurricanes last year and has been struck by hurricanes Dennis, Katrina and Rita this year.

Emergency crews in Honduras prepared to evacuate 10,000 people, including tourists drawn to the Bay Islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja to scuba dive the pristine coral reefs.

Cuba's western tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Rio braced for heavy rain and flooding. More than 5,000 people were evacuated from eastern Cuba, where two days of rainfall caused floods and mudslides in the provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago and Granma.

The Florida Keys, a chain of islands connected to mainland Florida by a single road, planned to order visitors to leave on Thursday and to evacuate 80,000 residents on Friday.

"This is our fourth storm but this one is really aggressive. This one we are taking seriously. The damage is going to be substantial," Irene Toner, director of emergency management for the county that encompasses the islands, told local radio.

- REUTERS