BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TERRITORIES across the Leeward Islands are on alert as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns that newly formed Tropical Storm Erin could move “close enough” to the northern Leewards, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico “to produce some impact.”
In its 5:00 p.m. update, the NHC reported that Erin is moving west at about 22 mph. Forecasters expect the storm to slow down its forward speed tonight through Thursday before shifting to a west-northwestward track Thursday night into the weekend.
Based on the current forecast, the center of Erin is likely to pass near or just north of the northern Leeward Islands this weekend.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts, according to the NHC. Gradual strengthening is expected to begin late Wednesday, and the storm could become a hurricane by late Thursday.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the St. Kitts Meteorological Services say they are closely monitoring Erin’s progress.
In a message on its social media pages, NEMA reminded residents that it is still too early to determine what impact—if any—the storm might have on the Federation, but now is the time to prepare.
