Hurricane Omar causes cruise liners to re-route

As of 1200 UTC on 15 October 2008, Hurricane Omar was located 265 mi/425 km southwest of St. Croix and 265 mi/425 km south-southwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph/70 kt and is moving northeast at 7 mph/6 kt. According to meteorologists at Wilkens Weather Technologies, the hurricane is expected to strengthen over the next 48 hours. Omar will reach the northern Leeward Islands late on 15 October. The hurricane will likely cause significant rainfall that could result in flash floods and mudslides in Puerto Rico and parts of the Lesser Antilles. Several cruise lines, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Disney Cruise Line, have rerouted ships away from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The hurricane has also disrupted operations at the Amuay and Cardon oil refineries in Venezuela.