A tropical cyclone alert is in effect for Antigua and Barbuda, the Leeward Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
As of 5PM on Tuesday, September 5, the Antigua & Barbuda Meteorological Office reports said the “forecast track still remains inherently uncertain due mainly to the notable distance from the islands.”
A tropical cyclone alert, in this case, means a tropical cyclone is in the monitoring area of concern with the potential to become a major hurricane.
Met Officer Dale Destin said they cannot rule out that a tropical storm or hurricane watch may need to be issues as early as Thursday.
At present, most of the model forecasts indicate that the centre will likely pass a relatively safe distance North of the region. “…In the reasonable worst-case scenario, the system poses an elevated or minor threat to the islands with the potential to cause limited impacts from storm-force winds and high seas, resulting in life-threatening conditions and minor disruptions to daily life.
“It’s important to note that this assessment is subject to change as the system moves closer to the region and new information becomes available. To ensure your safety, we strongly recommend having your hurricane disaster plan prepared and ready. Additionally, please stay actively vigilant and monitor the progress of this cyclone closely.
“At 5PM, Tropical Storm Lee was located near Latitude 13.2 North, Longitude 41.8 West or about 1353 miles East-Southeast of the Leeward Islands or about 1553 miles East-Southeast of the British Virgin Islands. The storm is moving West-Northwest near 16 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next few days with a slight reduction in forward speed.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Lee is forecast to be a hurricane within a couple of days and will likely be a major hurricane by Friday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the centre.
Note that there are no watches or warnings in effect at this time.
The next update will be issued shortly after 11 pm tonight.
