Tropical Storm Mathew forms in the Windward Islands
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Tropical Storm Mathew formed Wednesday in the Windward Islands and could become a hurricane by Friday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) has said.
It said that the storm, 35 miles south east of St Lucia and 35 miles east north east of St Vincent, was moving at 21 mph and that “a westward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.
“On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will move through the Windward Islands – Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines – during the next couple of hours, and move over the eastern Caribbean Sea through Friday,” the BHC said.
It said that reports from an Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher gusts and that gradual strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days”.
The NHC said that a tropical storm warning is in effect for the French Islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, as well as Barbados, St Lucia, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadine Islands.
It said that interests in Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, and elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles should monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Matthew, which is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of four to eight inches across the Windward Islands and southern portions of the Leeward Islands through Thursday.
“These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides. Rainfall totals of one to two inches are expected farther to the north into the northern Leeward Islands, including the United States and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.”
Meanwhile, residents in the Windward Islands and Barbados were preparing for the passage of the storm with schools, government offices and other business closing early.