WHCA31 TAPA
TROPICAL DEPRESSION 10 ALERT STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
11:30 AM ECT TUE, SEP 17, 2019
THIS IS FOR THE LEEWARD ISLANDS AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMS OVER THE CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC AND INTERESTS IN THE LEEWARDS AND BVI SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.
AT 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION TEN
WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.9 NORTH, LONGITUDE 44.9 WEST OR 1140 MILES (1835 KM) EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE LEEWARDS AND 1360 (2188 KM) MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE BVI.
THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12
MPH (19 KM/H). A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION AT A SOMEWHAT
FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MPH (55 KM/H) WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS, AND THE DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A
TROPICAL STORM LATER TODAY AND FORECAST TO BECOME A
HURRICANE BY THE TIME IT APPROACHES THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.
BASED ON THE LATEST TRACK ANALYSIS, THE DEPRESSION IS
FORECAST TO MAINTAIN A PATH THAT BRINGS IT JUST NORTH OF THE
NORTHERN LEEWARDS EARLY FRIDAY AS A HURRICANE. WHEREAS
THE CORE OF THIS SYSTEM IS PROJECTED TO STAY OFFSHORE, THE POSSIBILITY OF STORM CONDITIONS BEING FELT OVER SOME ISLANDS IS GROWING.
NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE REQUIRED AT THIS TIME; HOWEVER,
THESE MAY BECOME NECESSARY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. RESIDENTS OF
THE NORTHERN LEEWARDS AND BVI ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO
CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM AS ANY PROLONGED WESTERLY MOTION COULD BRING THE CORE AND GREATER TROPICAL CYCLONE IMPACTS TO THE ISLANDS.
THE NEXT ALERT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THE MET OFFICE AT 5 PM ECT THIS AFTERNOON