TROPICAL CYCLONE WATCH STATEMENT THIS IS FOR THE LEEWARD ISLANDS …TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE LEEWARDS ISLANDS LATE TUESDAY. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, ST.KITTS AND NEVIS, MONSERRAT AND ANGUILLA.
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT A HURRICANE OR DEVELOPING HURRICANE CONDITIONS POSE A POSSIBLE THREAT TO THE SPECIFIED AREA WITHIN 48 HOURS. RESIDENTS SHOULD START TO IMPLEMENT THEIR HURRICANE DISASTER PLANS.
AT 5 AM ECT OR 0900Z THE CENTRE OF HURRICANE IRMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.9 NORTH, LONGITUDE 52.3 WEST OR ABOUT 625 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS AND 680 MILES AWAY FROM ST. KITTS & NEVIS. IRMA IS MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST-SOUTHWEST AT NEAR 14 MPH. A TURN TOWARDS THE WEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A WEST-NORTHWEST TURN LATE TUESDAY.
ON THIS FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTRE OF IRMA WILL BE MOVE CLOSER TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS TUESDAY AND THEN BE NEAR THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS TUESDAY NIGHT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRMA IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE.
SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES FROM THE CENTRE AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES. IRMA HAD A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 961 MB OR 28.38 INCHES. THE SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE ISLANDS LATE TUESDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH TO WEDNESDAY WITH PEAK WINDS OF 70 MPH ALONG WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALSO, SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE ISLANDS ON TUESDAY.
RAINFALL TOTALS OF UP TO 5 INCHES ARE FORECAST TO OCCUR OVER A PERIOD OF LESS THAN 24 HRS. WITH THIS TYPE OF RAINFALL, RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONED AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUNDS AS MODERATE FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE. RESIDENTS NEAR SLOPES SHOULD PREPARE TO GUARD AGAINST MUDSLIDES.
MARINERS SHOULD STAY IN PORT AND SEEK SAFE ANCHORAGE. SEAS WILL STARTED TO DETERIORATE ON TUESDAY AND WILL PEAK NEAR 20 FEET ON WENDESDAY AS THE STORM DRAWS NEAR. ALL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF HURRICANE IRMA CLOSELY AND TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. REPEATING THE 5 AM ECT POSITION, 16.9 N, 52.3W. MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH.
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 961MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE AT …. 1100 ECT
FORECASTER
PATRICE EDWARDS
