Go-Jamaica Weather Watch

Sheree Bennett in Petionville Port-au-Prince, Haiti

2:30 p.m.

At 8 a.m., the sun was bright and the skies clear. It is only now, in the afternoon, that any sign of impending ‘mauvais temps’ (bad weather) has become evident. Even here in the hills of uptown Petionville, it is still only overcast with the slightest of winds.

Weather advisories were posted in the national papers yesterday. The storm is expected to pass over Haiti’s southern peninsula late Saturday evening into early Sunday morning.

The departments (regions) that are most threatened are: Le Sud, le Sud-Est, La Grande Anse and Les Nippes. For these areas, the hurricane is expected to bring storm-force winds, rough seas and a high probability of severe flooding in low-lying areas and erosion in much of the deforested interior.

As at noon on Saturday, the hurricane is expected to pass 50 kilometres south of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of Haiti (MUNISTAH) has been alerted and mobilised to assist government relief efforts if necessary.

Although this area, Petion-ville, will not bear the brunt of the hurricane, torrential rain is expected across the island. Preparations are slow on the ground. Meanwhile people, in this area, seem to be unperturbed.

Some institutions, like the World Bank have gone into full security mode since yesterday while other agencies and businesses are still operant. Some students of the Faculty of Social Science at the National University in Port-au-Prince are expected to report for an exam this afternoon.

Hotel Montana is still buzzing with activity. At 11 a.m., most radio stations were still playing music.