Season’s first tropical storm headed for Leeward Islands

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-The first named storm of the 2009 Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Season, Tropical Storm Ana, is currently expected to impact the Leeward Islands early Monday (Aug. 17). 

A tropical depression had formed over the east Atlantic last week, only to weaken and dissipate. However, the storm began to strengthen again on Friday and was officially upgraded to the first tropical storm of the season around 5 a.m. this morning (Aug. 15). 

According to the 11 a.m. bulletin from the meteorological centre in Antigua-Barbuda, Tropical Storm Ana is located “near latitude 14.3 north...longitude 48.3 west or about 920 miles...1480 km...east of the Leeward Islands.”

The storm has currently attained maximum sustained wind speeds of 40 miles per hour with “higher gusts”.

The release described Ana as rapidly moving westward at roughly 16 mph with “little change in strength”. The storm is expected to continue in a west-northwest direction over the next few days and “this motion could bring the center of Ana near the Leeward Islands on Monday”.

Tropical storm force winds for Ana extend out as far as 70 miles from the center of the storm. 

“Presently, tropical storm Ana poses no immediate threat to any land mass in the Eastern Caribbean. However, based on its current track, Ana could pass through or close to the Leeward and British Virgin Islands by Monday, so it may become necessary to issue a tropical storm watch for Antigua and Barbuda and the Leeward Islands later today,” the release stated. 

While there is no imminent threat to any of the Leeward Islands, the general public is being asked to closely monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Ana as the system continues to develop over the next few days.