Tag Archives: Sint Maarten

Tropical Storm Ernesto Brings Wind and Rain to the Leeward Islands

Tropical Storm Ernesto brought wind and rain to the Leeward Islands on Tuesday morning.  At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto was located at latitude 16.6°N and longitude 61.9°W which put the center about 35 miles (55 km) northwest of Guadeloupe.  Ernesto was moving toward the west at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1005 mb.

Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, St, Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques.

More thunderstorms formed near the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto on Tuesday morning.  Those thunderstorms generated more upper level divergence that removed mass from the tropical storm.  The removal of more mass cause the surface pressure to decrease.  More thunderstorms also developed in bands revolving around the center of Ernesto’s circulation

The strongest winds were occurring in the northern side of Tropical Storm Ernesto.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) in the northern side of Ernesto’s circulation.  The winds in the southern part of Ernesto were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Ernesto will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Ernesto will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge over the subtropical Atlantic Ocean.  The ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Ernesto’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear, but the wind shear will not be enough to prevent intensification.  Tropical Storm Ernesto will intensify during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Ernesto will move around the southern side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer the tropical wave quickly toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Ernesto will reach Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.

Tropical Storm Ernesto will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the Leeward Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.  The winds could be strong enough to cause localized outages of electricity.  Ernesto could also cause a storm surge of up to 4 feet (1 meter).

 

 

Tropical Storm Ernesto Forms East of the Leeward Islands

Tropical Storm Ernesto formed east of the Leeward Islands on Monday afternoon.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto was located at latitude 16.0°N and longitude 57.5°W which put the center about 295 miles (475 km) east-southeast of Antigua.  Ernesto was moving toward the west-northwest at 28 m.p.h. (44 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1009 mb.

Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, St, Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques.

A U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft found a distinct low level center of circulation in a tropical wave previously designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone Five, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Ernesto.

More thunderstorms formed near the center of Tropical Storm Ernesto.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms began to revolve around the center of Ernesto’s circulation.  Storms near the center of Ernesto started to generate upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm.

The reconnaissance plane also found that tropical storm force winds extended out 60 miles (95 km) in the northeastern quadrant of Tropical Storm Ernesto.  The winds in the other parts of Ernesto’s circulation were blowing at less than tropical storm force.

Tropical Storm Ernesto will move through an environment somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Ernesto will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge over the subtropical Atlantic Ocean.  The ridge will produce strong easterly winds that will blow toward the top of the tropical wave.  Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear.  The wind shear will inhibit intensification, but the shear is not enough to stop intensification. Tropical Storm Ernesto is likely to intensify gradually during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Ernesto will move around the southern side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer the tropical wave quickly toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, ‘Tropical Storm Ernesto could reach the Leeward Islands early on Tuesday.  Ernesto could be near Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.

Tropical Storm Ernesto will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the Leeward Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.  The winds could be strong enough to cause localized outages of electricity.  Ernesto could also cause a storm surge of up to 4 feet (1 meter).

 

Tropical Storm Warnings Issued for Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

The potential risk posed by a tropical wave currently designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone Five prompted the issuance of Tropical Storm Warnings for the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico on Monday morning.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Five was located at latitude 15.1°N and longitude 55.6°W which put the center about 435 miles (700 km) east-southeast of Antigua.  The tropical wave was moving toward the west at 26 m.p.h. (43 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1010 mb.

Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, St, Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, Sint Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Culebra, Vieques.

A tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles that is currently designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone Five exhibited more organization on Monday morning.  However, a NOAA aircraft investigating the tropical wave did not find a well defined low level center of circulation.  More thunderstorms formed near the axis of the tropical wave.  A large counterclockwise rotation associated with the tropical wave strengthened a little on Monday morning.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms appeared to be forming in parts of the tropical wave.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Five will move through an environment somewhat favorable for the formation of a tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours.  The tropical wave will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge over the subtropical Atlantic Ocean.  The ridge will produce strong easterly winds that will blow toward the top of the tropical wave.  Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear.  The wind shear will slow the organization of the tropical wave into a tropical cyclone.  Potential Tropical Cyclone Five is likely to organize gradually into a tropical depression or a tropical storm during the next 24 hours.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Five will move around the southern side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer the tropical wave quickly toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Potential Tropical Cyclone Five could approach the Leeward Islands on Monday night.  It could be near Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Five could be a tropical storm when it reaches the Leeward Islands.  It will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the Leeward Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.  The winds could be strong enough to cause localized outages of electricity.

 

Tropical Storm Watches Issued for Leeward Islands

The potential threat posed by a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles prompted the issuance of Tropical Storm Watches for the Leeward Islands on Sunday afternoon.  The U.S. National Hurricane Center designated the tropical wave as Potential Tropical Cyclone Five for the purpose of issuing the Tropical Storm Watches.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Five was located at latitude 13.6°N and longitude 48.0°W which put the center about 950 miles (1530 km) east-southeast of Antigua.  The tropical wave was moving toward the west-northwest at 21 m.p.h. (33 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 30 m.p.h. (50 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1010 mb.

Tropical Storm Watches were in effect for Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St, Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, and Anguilla, Saba and St. Eustatius, and Sin Maarten.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center designated a tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles as Potential Tropical Cyclone Five on Sunday afternoon.  There was not a well defined low level center of circulation in the tropical wave.  There was a large counterclockwise rotation associated with the tropical wave, but the rotation did not have an identifiable center.  Thunderstorms were forming in clusters scattered within the tropical wave.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Five will move through an environment somewhat favorable for the formation of a tropical cyclone during the next 36 hours.  The tropical wave will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C.  It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge over the subtropical Atlantic Ocean.  The ridge will produce strong easterly winds that will blow toward the top of the tropical wave.  Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear.  The wind shear will slow the organization of the tropical wave into a tropical cyclone.  Potential Tropical Cyclone Five is likely to organize gradually into a tropical depression or a tropical storm during the next 36 hours.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Five will move around the southern side of a subtropical high pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer the tropical wave quickly toward the west-northwest during the next 36 hours.  On its anticipated track, Potential Tropical Cyclone Five could approach the Leeward Islands on Monday night.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Five could be a tropical storm when it reaches the Leeward Islands.  It will bring gusty winds and locally heavy rain to the Leeward Islands.  Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.