It could move north across the Florida Keys and up towards the Florida Panhandle it could move north- east

It could move north across the Florida Keys and up towards the Florida Panhandle; it could move north- east, closer to Miami and the destructive trajectory of its predecessor Hurricane Andrew six years ago. In the intervals between the forecasts, the white catherine wheel with the red centre edges across the northern shore of Cuba Occasionally its projected path is plotted by computer. Moving over the warm water of the Gulf would also give the hurricane a chance to pick up speed. Or it could sweep to the north and east, in a quarter- circle, and back out to sea.But at the National Hurricane Centre, judiciously sited, since Hurricane Andrew, further inland beyond the western fringe of Miami, the experts fear, and plan for the worst. The worst would be the first, slamming into the Lower and Middle Keys, then heading to the densely populated Panhandle, which is just recovering from a series of tropical storms That would extend the relief effort on three fronts. Urgently, but without panic, Miami Beach is preparing to abandon itself to the elements.On local and national television, the recurrent map shows the pendulous shape of Florida, with the long strip of Cuba below like an underlining.

The banging of hammers is all round as workmen nail wooden boards across the plate-glass hotel fronts. A few carefree couples cross the road, beach mats under arm, frolicking in amazed delight that they have the whole expanse of white sand to themselves But Route 41 is as busy with cars as in the rush hour. THE SKY is blue, with only the slenderest bank of clouds at the horizon; the light as translucent as on the brightest tropical day Yet everyone feels the menace. “It looks great out there,” say the weather forecasters, now on every television and radio station “Don’t be deceived Use these hours to buy in the basics; board up your windows. Then stay home.”

Hurricane Georges has already brought devastation to the Caribbean, where 110 lives have been lost in the past week, most in St Kitts, Antigua and Cuba. Now it threatens southern Florida, starting with the Lower Keys, the chain of islands that is the closest US land to Cuba.
In Miami, the turquoise mass of water that always seems higher than the land is flecked with white edgings in places, even though, as yet, there are no waves. The palm branches are waving like the arms of a tightrope walker, as though to keep the trunks in balance.

Those white clouds on the horizon are somehow aberrant; the shapes are wrong, and they are swelling as more banks build.In South Beach, where every pastel deco building has its history, a few ocean-front cafes are crowded at mid-morning – crowded because the rest are closed. They are demanding a drastic cut in levies on owner-occupied property, the creation of a state agency to hire unemployed workers in Italy’s poorer south, the abolition of prescription charges, and free textbooks for all school pupils up to the age of 15.Without the Communists, Mr Prodi is unlikely to be able to push his budget through parliament and remain in office.In an offer of help with a sting in its tail, the former president Francesco Cossiga said he would order his handful of centrist supporters in the tiny UDR party to cast their votes in favour of the budget.But only, he added, if Mr Prodi resigned as soon as the legislation had been approved.. Two years and four months into its four- year mandate, Mr Prodi’s government is ready to present a cost-cutting budget that has already earned itself unprecedented praise from unions and employers alike.But the slight rise in pensions, and extensive additions to the list of tax-deductible expenses expected to be announced today have failed to impress Mr Bertinotti’s followers. Too few to make up the government’s vote shortfall in the lower house, the rebel Communists may well leave Mr Prodi with less room for manoeuvre in his attempts to paper over the cracks in his relationship with Mr Bertinotti, as he did a year ago, with a half-hearted promise to introduce a 35-hour working week.”It really looks like the government is going to fall,” said Silvio Berlusconi, a clearly satisfied opposition leader. “Half of Kosovo is already destroyed and burning,” said an aide to the Kosovo Albanian political leader, Ibrahim Rugova. “By the time Nato gets round to doing anything, he’ll [Mr Milosevic] have time to destroy the other half too.”.