TROPICAL Storm Matthew formed on Wednesday morning in the eastern Caribbean and lashed several islands with heavy wind and rain.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for much of the southernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles, including Barbados, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Authorities closed the international airport in Barbados and officials in St Lucia advised businesses to close for the day as the storm passed. There were no immediate reports of any injuries or major damage.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Matthew had sustained winds of 60mph and was expected to bring rainfall of four to eight inches to the northern Windward Islands and the southern portion of the Leeward Islands. The NHC warned that the heavy rain could trigger flash floods and mudslides.
Matthew was centred about 35 miles east-northeast of St Vincent and was moving west at 21mph at 11am on Wednesday. The storm was on track to pass through the southern Caribbean before heading north across the eastern Caribbean Sea in the next two days.
Gradual strengthening is forecast and Matthew could become a hurricane by Friday.
Comments
rqd2 7 years, 7 months ago
Currently about a 50% chance that this could be a Cat 3 or higher over The Bahamas in 6 days.
http://www.tropicaltidbits.com/stormi..." title="Intensity Guidance">link text
Islandboy242242 7 years, 7 months ago
The 3 or 4 higher intensity models are the ones that match with the track guidance going more towards Havana, not the ones going over middle of Cuba. Worried about Crooked Island though, it continues to be in the cross-hairs. Rough guessing game for another 3 days or so though.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 7 months ago
Has NEMA and the Met Office thought about what they will say to Bahamians this time around?????? ............ Basil Dean and the RBDF fella gatta get their story together and don't make the same boo-boos like with Joaquin last year ......... anyway, there are many options to get reliable information on these hurricanes without risking the Bahamian "experts"
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