BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ST. KITTS AND NEVIS has been set on alert as Tropical Depression Nine has intensified in strength into Tropical Storm Isaac and is moving quickly towards the Leeward and other islands in the Caribbean.
The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services – through the St. Kitts Meteorological Office – has advised that the system now packs winds of approximately 40 miles per hour and as at 7:00 p.m. (Aug. 21) its centre was located about 598 miles to the east-south-east of the Federation.
“Isaac is moving towards the west near 17 mph…28km/h…and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. On the forecast track…the centre of Isaac should move through the central Lesser Antilles and emerge over the Eastern Caribbean Sea by Thursday morning.”
Specific to St. Kitts-Nevis – however – the report states that “based upon the latest position, tropical storm Isaac is expected to pass within 50 miles of St. Kitts and Nevis late Wednesday and Thursday. This means that St. Kitts and Nevis are within the zone of sustained tropical storm force winds. These winds are in excess of 39 miles per hour, cloudiness, showers and isolated thunderstorms could begin to affect St. Kitts and Nevis and the Leeward Islands shortly after midnight.”
Additional to the Federation, a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe and the surrounding islands, St. Martin, St. Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius. And a tropical storm watch is in effect for the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra and the US Virgin Islands.
Inhabitants of St. Kitts-Nevis are asked to be mindful of prior words of caution, which have been issued by National Disaster Coordinator Carl Herbert, to be prepared, monitor the progress of these systems via the radio and other trusted or official mediums, steer clear of ghauts and waterways shortly before, during and shortly after the passage of a storm.
