A Hurricane Watch is in effect for St Lucia as Tropical Storm Dorian is expected to bring heavy rains and winds to the Lesser Antilles on Monday night and Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami in its 5 p.m. advisory said rainfall of three to eight inches is expected from Martinique to St Vincent, including Barbados, with isolated totals as high as ten inches possible.
And tropical storm conditions are also possible on Wednesday in Puerto Rico where a tropical storm watch has been issued, the NHC said.
According to the NHC a Hurricane Watch continues for St Lucia. A Tropical Storm Warning continues for Barbados, Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Dominica, Grenada and its dependencies, Saba and St Eustatius, and Puerto Rico.
Caribbean Airline and LIAT have cancelled flights in the regional on Monday and Tuesday morning.
The NHC stated:
“Tropical Storm Dorian is centered as of 5 p.m. AST/EDT about 60 miles (95 km) southeast of Barbados, moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph (22 km/h). On the forecast track, the center is expected to move near the Windward Islands this evening and tonight and move into the eastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday.
“Dorian is forecast to pass near or south of Puerto Rico on Wednesday and approach eastern Hispaniola Wednesday night.
“Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Satellite-derived surface wind data indicate that Dorian remains a compact tropical cyclone. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center.
“Some strengthening during the next few days is forecast, and Dorian could be near hurricane strength when it passes through the northern Windward Islands on Tuesday, and it is expected to be a hurricane when it moves near Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola.
“Dorian is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 8 inches in the Windward Islands from Martinique south to St. Vincent, including Barbados.
“Isolated maximum totals of 10 inches are possible across the northern Windward Islands. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected from the Grenadines, south to Grenada and across Dominica. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches with maximum totals of 6 inches are possible across Puerto Rico and St. Croix.”
