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A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Northern Leeward Islands, among them the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, as Tropical Storm Laura looks to make a direct impact on the territory beginning Friday evening.
VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen will provide an update on the territory’s plans for the storm, Government House has announced. Watch it live on the Consortium's Facebook page.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- British Virgin Islands
- Saba and St. Eustatius
- St. Maarten
- St. Martin and St. Barthelemy
- Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, and Montserrat
Tropical storm conditions in the case of the USVI are expected within the next 12 to 24 hours.
Peak wind forecast: 35-45 mph with gusts to 60 mph. Window for tropical storm-force winds in the USVI: early this evening until Saturday morning
According to the National Hurricane Center's 11:00 a.m. advisory, the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located near latitude 17.0 North, longitude 60.2 West. Laura is moving toward the west near 18 mph (30 km/h) and a generally west-northwestward motion at a faster forward speed is expected over the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move near or over the northern Leeward Islands later today, near or over Puerto Rico Saturday morning, and near the northern coast of Hispaniola late Saturday and early Sunday. Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles (240 km) from the center.
The minimum central pressure estimated from NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft observations is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).
Rainfall: Laura is expected to produce 3 to 6 inches of rain over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, and the southern Haitian Peninsula through Sunday. Maximum amounts up to 8 inches are possible along eastern portions and the southern slopes of Puerto Rico, as well as over Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This heavy rainfall could lead to flash and urban flooding, as well as an increased potential for mudslides with minor river flooding in Puerto Rico. 1 to 3 inches of rain with isolated maximum totals of 5 inches is expected over the remainder of Haiti, the northern Leeward Islands, the Turks and Caicos and southeast Bahamas.
Wind: Tropical storm conditions are expected within portions of the warning area area later today through Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are possible within portions of the watch area Saturday night and early Sunday.
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