'Maria' to pass Leewards today
Published:Friday | September 9, 2011 | 12:00 AM
FLORIDA (CMC):
The United States National Hurricane Centre yesterday said the centre of Tropical Storm Maria, should be near the Leewards Islands later this afternoon, as it moves across the northeastern Caribbean Sea tomorrow.
Yesterday, the meterological service in Barbados had issued a tropical storm watch for Dominica in the northern Windwards, while French authorities placed its possessions in St Barthelemy, St Martin, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
From Dominica north to St Maarten were under tropical storm watch yesterday. Weather forecasters said the storm could weaken to a tropical wave and then regenerate.
The Dutch-speaking territories of St Maarten, Saba and St Eustatius were also on storm watch, the NHC said.
"Interests elsewhere in the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico should monitor the progress of Maria," the NHC advisory added.
At 2 p.m. ECT yesterday, the centre of Tropical Storm Maria was estimated to be near latitude 13.0 degrees north, longitude 52 degrees west, and moving toward the west near 35 kilometres per hour (22 miles per hour).
Forecasters were expecting the cyclone to turn toward the west-northwest and slow down today.