BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-ANY threat posed to the Leeward Islands by Tropical Storm Henri continues to be diminished as the system has shown signs of weakening in the past 24 hours.
Located at roughly latitude 19.8 north and longitude 62.0 west as of 11 a.m., or about 263 miles northeast of Antigua, Henri is moving in a west-northwest direction at 13 miles per hour and has maximum sustained winds at 35 miles per hour.
The wind speed is a reduction of five miles per hour from last evening, and the National Hurricane Centre has indicated that “Henri is likely to degenerate into a remnant low later today (Oct. 8)”.
As of its latest information, the Antigua Meteorological Office described Henri as currently residing in an “unfavorable and complex environment”, which makes forecasting its eventual path and strength more complicated.
They did state, however, that the system will pass a “safe distance” north of the Leeward Islands today, and would likely pose little to no threat to the British Virgin Islands as it passes that region tomorrow.
A small craft warning is in effect for seafaring vessels as “seas are deteriorating and waves will likely exceed seven (7) feet” today in some areas, particularly in the Atlantic Ocean.
Some showers and thunderstorms are expected to be produced by the system, with “total rain accumulations of 1 to 2 inches over northern Leeward Islands and the Virgin Islands”.
While no immediate threat is posed to those within St. Kitts-Nevis and the Leeward Islands, residents are being asked to continue monitoring the system until it has fully dissipated or is safely out of the area.
