UPDATE (11:30 p.m. Aug. 28)
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE St. Kitts Meteorological Office has informed that as at 8:00 p.m. today (Aug. 28), all watches and warnings for the Federation have been discontinued.
The centre of Tropical Storm Erika had passed through the Leeward Islands earlier today. And due to the fact that it was disorganized with most of the thunderstorms and rain to the east its centre, most of the rain which the Federation experienced, came after the centre had passed.
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - MANY emerged from their beds this morning (Aug. 27) suspecting that Tropical Storm (TS) Erika had passed the Federation without incident only to learn that the system had slowed down some and is expected to make landfall later this morning.
An advisory issued by the St. Kitts Meteorological Office indicated that as at 5:00 a.m. TS Erika was passing between Guadeloupe and Antigua and had gathered a little more strength. It was then located approximately 95 miles to the east of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Moving at a pace of 16 miles per hour, the centre of the weather system is expected to “move near or over St. Kitts and Nevis late Thursday (today) morning”.
As such, the Met Office has advised that residents quickly complete their preparations for the impending storm.
The current situation has warranted the closure of several business entities including the offices of the Government.
A notice issued by the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service informed that, “On the advice of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and information from the Met Office, residents of the Federation should remain indoors until the passage of Tropical Storm Erika. Consequently Government Offices will be closed until it is considered safe to venture out.”
Maximum sustained winds from the storm were 45 miles per hour but have since increased to about 50 miles per hour with higher gusts.
The Met Office has advised that a flashflood watch might be required and it is expected that TS would dump some rain on the Federation.
Meanwhile, according to reports, the rain the TS Erika has deposited on Dominica has led to flash-flooding in that territory.
