Cristobal batters the Bahamas

For the past couple of days Tropical Storm Cristobal has been battering parts of the Caribbean.

The system developed into a Tropical Depression on Saturday, centred between the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Cristobal then slowly strengthened, becoming a tropical storm on Sunday, and a hurricane the following day.

It slowly tracked northwest, at approximately 5 kph, meaning the region saw a prolonged period of very heavy rain.

Heavy rain was not only limited to the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and southern Cuba were also drenched in the downpours.

The rain triggered flooding across much of the region and two people are known to have died in Haiti.

Haiti, one of the world’s poorest countries, has suffered extensive deforestation in recent years, which has made it more susceptible to flash flooding and landslides.

Hurricane Cristobal is now creeping northwards across the Atlantic.

It is not thought to be a threat to the mainland of the USA, instead it is expected to start to accelerate and drift northeast. It is likely to graze Bermuda on Wednesday, and warnings of winds over 63kph are in force on the islands.