Barbados issues tropical storm warning as Bert inches closer to Lesser Antilles

MIAMI, CMC -Tropical Storm Bret was gaining strength on Tuesday with the Barbados government issuing a storm warning for the island.

“Tropical storm watches will likely be required for other islands later tonight,” the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, noting that the storm, located about 835 miles east of the Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (mph) is moving toward the west near 18 mph.

The NHC said that this general motion is expected to continue for the next several days and that interests elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles should monitor the progress of Bret.

In its latest bulletin, the NHC said that the centre of Bret is expected to move across portions of the Lesser Antilles Thursday afternoon and Thursday night, and then move across the eastern Caribbean Sea on Friday.

“Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph with higher gusts.  Additional strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Bret is expected to be a tropical storm when it reaches the Lesser Antilles Thursday and Thursday night.”

The NHC said that through Saturday morning, total rainfall amounts of four to six inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches are possible across portions of the Lesser Antilles from Guadeloupe southward to St Lucia.

It said rainfall amounts of two to four inches are possible across Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“The heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding, especially across areas of higher terrain.  Isolated urban flooding is also possible,” the NHC added.

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