Rita downgraded to category 4
23/09/2005 14:48  - (SA)  

Rita: Get out says White House New Orleans threatened again Rita pounds Florida Keys Rita 'potentially catastrophic' Rita is becoming stronger 'I'm about to kill myself'

Miami - The US National Hurricane Centre on Thursday downgraded Hurricane Rita, which is heading for the US coast, but warned it is still "extremely dangerous" and packing winds of 240km/h an hour.

The Miami-based centre said Rita is now a "strong category four" on the five level Saffir-Simpson scale.

"Some slight weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours but Rita is expected to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane."

It said winds had decreased during the day from about 275km/h to near 240km/h.

The storm is forecast to hit the Texas coast late on Friday or early on Saturday. With many still recovering from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, more than one million people on the Texas and Louisiana coast have been ordered to flee.

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