Hurricane Matthew's impact on Haiti could be "catastrophic" - WMO warns

The impact of Hurricane Matthew could be "catastrophic" on Haiti and its neighbours, the UN said Tuesday.

Issuing the warning, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported wind speeds at the centre of the storm in excess of 230 kilometres per hour.

The agency's Clare Nullis also said that forecasted flash-floods and storm surges were a particular concern for Haiti; it's still reeling from the earthquake that claimed more than 230,000 lives in 2010.

"It's very powerful, it's very slow-moving which means as it moves slowly the potential impacts are bigger; there's more rainfall, the winds stay around for longer, and its impacts for Haiti in particular are potentially catastrophic is the word I've been seeing over and over again this morning."

More than 60,000 people are still living in camps after that earthquake, according to UN disaster resistance agency UNISDR.

Schools on the Caribbean island have been closed and are now being used for shelters, but there's concern that 300,000 people may not be able to get there in time as the storm hits Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Cuba.

SOURCE: UN Radio