Go-Jamaica Weather Watch

HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – A tropical storm warning was issued for Bermuda on Thursday as Tropical Storm Fiona took aim at the island.

 Fiona, packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (85 kilometres per hour), is expected to pass around 20 miles to the northwest of the island early on Saturday, bringing squally showers, the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) said.

 At 3.00pm local time, Fiona was around 450 miles south of Bermuda, moving north-northwest.

Tropical storm conditions are expected on Friday evening into Saturday morning, the BWS said, adding that “a generally unsettled theme will continue into the new week as Fiona moves away northeast.”

 Slow weakening in Fiona is forecast during the next 48 hours, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the centre, mainly to the east.

Early last month Tropical Storm Colin fizzled out as it approached the island while last week Hurricane Danielle, a powerful Category four storm, passed well to the east of the island, bringing little rain and only moderately strong winds.

 Bermuda is currently 10 inches down on rainfall for the year.

Gaston, the season’s newest tropical storm which formed yesterday, is expected to strengthen into a hurricane over the weekend.

 It’s currently in the open Atlantic but is forecast to head west toward the northeast Caribbean.

 Gaston follows on the heels of Fiona which is moving away from the region and will likely veer toward Bermuda over the next several days.

 Meanwhile, a tropical storm watch has been issued for the British territory.

Before Fiona, there was Hurricane Earl which caused between $50 and $150 million in insured losses in the Virgin Islands, St Maarten, St Martin and Puerto Rico when it blew through the northeast Caribbean earlier this week.

MIAMI, CMC – Tropical Storm Fiona was moving over the open Atlantic on Wednesday, but Caribbean countries were keeping a close watch on Gaston, the fourth named tropical storm in 11 days.

At 4.00 pm local time, Gaston, the seventh named storm of the 2010 season, was located 1635 miles east of the Leeward Islands and the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that while there were no coastal warnings or storm watches in effect, it was necessary for residents in those islands to monitor its progress.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Fiona moved over the Atlantic and all warnings for the Caribbean have been discontinued.

The center of Fiona was located 150 miles north of Anguilla and approximately 185 miles north east of St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands.

MIAMI, CMC – Fiona was downgraded to a minimal tropical storm but forecasters said that severe weather conditions could spread over portions of the northern leeward Islands later on Tuesday or early Wednesday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Fiona was 270 miles east of the Leeward Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.

Severeal Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, said a storm watch would remain in effect while a strom warning had been issued for St. Martin and St. Barthelemy.

At 5.00 local time, the center of the storm was located near latitude 16.7 north, longitude 57.7 west and is moving towards the west-northwest near 24 miles per hour.

NHC said that a turn towards the northwest with a decrease in forward speed is anticipated on Tuesday night and Wednesday and that on the forecast track, “the center of Fiona is expected to pass near or northwest of the northern Leeward Islands late tonight or early Wednesday”.

Meanwhile, the regional airline, LIAT said that its services are expected to operate as scheduled on Wednesday.

“The only exception to this resumption of service is likely to be Anguilla where the airport remains closed following the passage of Hurricane Earl,” the airline said, adding that due to the impending passage of Fiona, passengers should be aware that some disruptions and delays are likely to occur.

MIAMI, CMC – Hurricane Earl continues to strengthen as it makes it way across the northern leeward islands on Monday forcing the closure of airports and the cancellation of several flights by the regional airline LIAT.
At 8.00 am local time, Hurricane Earl, the season’s third named storm was located 25 miles north-northeast of St. Martin and about 140 miles east of St. Thomas.

The Category Two storm has winds of 110 miles per hour and the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, the British and United States Virgin islands said a hurricane warning remained in effect  for those islands.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Earl is moving towards the west-northwest near 14 miles per hour and that a turn to the northwest is expected on Tuesday.
“On the forecast track, the center of Earl will pass near or over the northernmost Leeward Islands this morning and near the Virgin Islands this afternoon and this evening,” NHC said, adding that “additional strengthening is forecast and Earl is expected to become a major hurricane later today”.
The regional airline has already announced the cancellation of a number of its flights and the Antigua and Barbuda authorities have said that the VC Bird International Airport has been closed as the hurricane makes its way across the region.
Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has also appealed to citizens to make use of the designated shelters on the island and “to take every necessary precaution to protect the lives of their families and property and most importantly to provide assistance to your neighbour who may be in need of help”.
In St. Kitts and Nevis, heavy winds and rain were battering the twin island federation, but weather forecasters said the conditions could continue late into Monday.
Local radio stations said there were no reports of injuries and officials with the National Emergency Management Agency were urging residents to stay indoors.
In Montserrat, disaster management officials were assessing the impact of the hurricane.
Preliminary reports sare that a number of raods were blocked by flood waters and debris but there were no reports of injuries.

Some residents remained without electricity service as the Montserrat Utilities Limited checked the impact on its network.

MIAMI, CMC – Residents in the Northern Leeward Islands were on Friday urged to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Earl that could become a hurricane by Sunday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that the storm was now located latitude 15.7 north, longitude 43.6 west or about 1,300 miles of the Northern Leeward Islands.

It could become the third hurricane of the 2010 season, following Hurricane Danielle, a Category Four Storm that was 480 miles south east of Bermuda on Friday.

The NHC said that while there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect for Earl, residents in the Northern Leeward Islands should monitor its progress.

“Earl is movingtowards the west near 17 miles per hour. This general motion is expected to continue through Sunday. Maximum sustained winds remain near 45 miles per hour with high gusts. Earl could become a hurricane by Sunday,” NHC said.

Regarding Hurricane Danielle, the NHC said that it is expected to pass well to the east of Bermuda by Saturday night.

Forecasters are reporting that Hurricane Danielle has strengthened to a Category 4 storm in the Atlantic.

The system has maximum sustained winds of 135 miles per hour.

Forecasters say dangerous surf conditions are expected in Bermuda, although the eye will likely move well east of the island on Saturday night.

Further out in the Atlantic, tropical storm Earl is was moving west and is expected to reach hurricane status by Saturday.

On the current forecast the storm is expected to skirt the northeastern Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico, over the weekend, then turn north like Danielle.

Hurricane Danielle is said gaining strength in the Atlantic as it heads toward Bermuda.

Danielle is located about 860 miles southeast of Bermuda and currently has maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour.

Farther east in the Atlantic, is Earl – the fifth named storm of the season, which has so far seen fewer storms than expected.

According to the Massachusetts-based Weather Service International that’s because pockets of dry air and shearing winds have hindered the formation of storms.

However, the forecaster say as the season heads into its traditionally busiest phase between now and October, the atmosphere is quickly becoming more favourable for tropical development.

At 4.00 a.m. the centre of Hurricane Storm Danielle was located near latitude 18.8 degrees north and longitude 51.0 degrees west or about 1,275 kilometres east of the northern Leeward Islands.
                    
Danielle is moving toward the west-northwest at 28 km/h but is expected to slow down and turn toward the northwest during the next couple of days.
 
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 140 km/h, with higher gusts. Danielle is a category one Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale and additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
 
Tropical Storm Danielle is not a threat to Jamaica.

The Meteorological (MET) Service in Jamaica has extended the flash flood watch for low-lying and flood prone areas of all parishes until 5.00pm this afternoon.

A flash flood watch means that flash flooding is possible in certain areas and residents are advised to take precautionary measures.

The Met Office advises that residents listen to the radio for further releases and be ready to take quick action if flooding is observed or if a warning is issued.

Since yesterday, sections of the island have been experiencing heavy showers and thunderstorm, due to a trough over the western Caribbean.

The Met office says while the Trough is expected to linger across the western Caribbean over the next few days, a Tropical Wave is expected to move across Jamaica this morning.

As a result, most parishes are expected to experience widespread showers and thunderstorms for most of today.

Fishers and other marine interests are advised to exercise caution as strong, gusty winds and rough seas are likely over inshore and offshore areas.