Several Caribbean islands on tropical storm watch
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC)— Several Caribbean islands were put on a tropical storm on Friday after a tropical depression formed east of the Lesser Antilles.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that the depression was about 675 miles east of the Leeward Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (mph).
A tropical storm watch has been issued for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts-Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, St Martin, St Barthelemy as well as Sint Maarten.
The NHC said that the depression is moving towards the west near 22 mph and that a motion towards the west or west-northwest with a gradual decrease in forward speed is expected during the next few days.
“On the forecast track, the centre of the depression is forecast to move over the Leeward Islands Saturday night, over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Sunday, and then over the Dominican Republic on Monday.
“Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm tonight or on Saturday,” the NHC said.
