Increased Chance Of Rain

Residents in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean should prepare for elevated levels of rain fall over the next couple of days as a weather disturbance approaches our area.

Forecasters are predicting an increased chance of rain over the next few days but as the disturbance moves away, rain chances will begin to decrease toward the middle of the week. There is a 50 percent chance for rain throughout our area today, with chances Monday holding at 40 percent.

According to the marine forecast, boaters can expect variable but moderate winds with higher winds and rougher sea conditions are expected near isolated showers and thunderstorms, which are predicted throughout the forecast period.

Tropical Storm Bertha Forecast To Strengthen

Tropical Storm Bertha is briskly moving westward and is forecast to strengthen. Bertha's maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 kph), and forecasters said it could gradually strengthen further over the next few days.

At 11:00 a.m. today the second tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane season was about 1185 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands and was moving west at about 21 mph (33 kph).

It was expected to proceed on a general west-northwest track with a gradual decrease in forward speed. As Bertha remains over the waters of the Central Tropical Atlantic it is much too early to determine if Bertha will eventually affect any land areas.

Some computer forecasting models predicted Bertha's top winds would reach the 74 mph (119 kph) threshold to become a hurricane in three or four days.

St. Philip South DEO - Meeting July 8, 2008

Members of the St. Philip South District Emergency Organisation are reminded of our monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at the St. Martin's Mangrove Primary School, St. Martin, St. Philip at 8:00 p.m.

Area Wardens, and other officers of the various DEO sub committees are especially asked to attend. The aforementioned sub-committees are as follows; information, shelter, clothing, feeding, first aid, road clearance, damage assessment and communications. A review of our readiness in each of these areas will be conducted.

Tropical Storm Bertha Is Born

Tropical Storm Bertha is born, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm has sustained winds near 40 mph and was located off the coast of Africa, about 190 miles south-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands.

Bertha is the second storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane season and is moving at about 14 mph. Forecasters say the storm doesn’t appear likely to become a hurricane, and should stay well away from the Caribbean island chain.

Tropical Depression 2 Forms In The Atlantic

The tropical disturbance in the eastern Atlantic has been upgraded to the second tropical depression of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane season.

At 5:00 a.m. the center of tropical depression 2 was estimated to be near latitude 12.6 north and longitude 22.7 west or about 2,479 miles (3989 km) east of the Windward Islands. The depression is moving towards the west-northwest near 9 mph and this general motion with some increase in forward speed is expected for the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph... 55 km/h with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and the depression could become a tropical storm later today. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 millibars, residents in the eastern Caribbean should continue to monitor the progress of this system as it develops. An advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 11:00 a.m.

Strong Tropical Wave Off Cape Verde Islands

A strong tropical wave is off the coast of west Africa near the Cape Verde Islands along 17 degrees West and south of 19 degrees North. The wave is estimated to be moving westwards at 15 knots. A 1011 millibar surface low is situated along the axis near 11 degrees North... very near a recent burst of deep convection.

This wave is rather vigorous exhibiting a well defined cyclonic turning and scattered moderate convection within 240 nautical miles either side of the axis. This wave will be closely monitored for further development.

Issued by: National Hurricane Center - 205 p.m. Tuesday July 01 2008.