Caribbean encouraged to monitor approaching tropical systems

Interests in the Caribbean are being encouraged to monitor two weather systems that are expected to impact the region.

In a bulletin this morning, the United States National Hurricane Centre said that disorganised showers and thunderstorms continue in association with a tropical wave located just east of the Lesser Antilles.

The centre says significant development of this system is unlikely while it moves quickly westward to west-northwestward at 20 to 25 miles per hour, passing through the Lesser Antilles today and then across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea later this week. 

Regardless of development, this system could bring locally heavy rainfall to portions of the Lesser Antilles during the next day or two, it said.

And the hurricane centre is reporting that a broad area of low pressure, associated with a tropical wave, is located about midway between the west coast of Africa and the Windward Islands. 

This system, it says, is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms that continues to show some signs of organisation.

It adds that environmental conditions appear generally favourable for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the next few days while the system moves west-northwestward at about 20 miles per hour.

Interests in the Windward and Leeward Islands should closely monitor this system as it will likely be moving through that region on Friday, the hurricane centre said.

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