…DISTURBANCE FORECAST TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM TONIGHT OR WEDNESDAY…
…EXPECTED TO BRING HEAVY RAINFALL AND TROPICAL-STORM-CONDITIONS TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS…THE U.S. AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS…AND PUERTO RICO…
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* British Virgin Islands
* Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla
* Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin, and St. Barthelemy
* Saba and St. Eustatius
* St. Maarten
* Dominica
* Dominican Republic from Cabo Caucedo northward along the northern coast to the Dominican Republic/Haiti border
Tropical storm conditions are expected to reach the Leeward Islands late tonight or Wednesday morning and spread across the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. These conditions are expected to reach portions of the Dominican Republic within the warning area early Thursday.
Interests elsewhere in Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, and the Southeast and Central Bahamas should monitor the progress of this system. For storm information specific to your area in the United States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office – www.weather.gov. For storm information specific to your area outside of the United States, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service.
At 5 p.m. AST, Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is located about 435 miles (700 km) east-southeast of the Leeward Islands. The system is moving toward the west-northwest near 23 mph (37 km/h), and this general motion with some slight reduction in forward speed is expected over the next few days. On the forecast track, the system is forecast to move through the Leeward Islands on Wednesday, near or over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Wednesday night, and near or over Hispaniola on Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles (370 km) primarily to the northeast of the center. Some strengthening is expected to occur during the next 48 hours, and the system is forecast to become a tropical storm tonight or Wednesday.
The potential tropical cyclone is expected to produce the following rain accumulations:
– Across the northern Leeward Islands, British and U.S. Virgin
Islands: 3 to 6 inches.
– Across Puerto Rico: 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 10 inches.
– Across the Dominican Republic: 3 to 6 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches.
– These rainfall amounts may lead to life threatening flash flooding and mudslides, as well as potential riverine flooding.
Rainfall is also expected in the following locations:
– Across the Windward Islands: 1 to 3 inches.
The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 11 p.m. AST with an intermediate advisory at 8 p.m. AST – www.hurricanes.gov
