Hurricane Ike swells to category 4

Hurricane Ike has been upgraded to a category 4 storm as it approaches the Caribbean [wunderground.com]. Hundreds have already died in the wake of hurricanes Hanna and Gustav in the past two weeks [BBC]. Aid has already started to arrive in Haiti to help the thousands who have been left homeless by the storms [CNN]. Bad weather has also claimed at least two lives in the UK following flooding across many areas [BBC]. But it is India that has seen the worst weather in recent weeks. Tens of thousands have been made homeless in the Bihar region, near to the border of Nepal, and the death toll there is still unknown [BBC].