BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — A tropical storm warning is in effect for Dominica while a tropical storm watch is in effect for Barbados, St Lucia, Martinique, St Martin, St Barthelemy, Saba and St Eustatius as a weakened tropical storm Beryl moves towards the island chain.

A tropical storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area. The Miami based National Hurricane Centre in its latest forecast said the centre of Tropical Storm Beryl was located near latitude 12.4 north, longitude 51.9 west.

Beryl is moving faster toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h).

A west-northwestward motion with an additional increase in forward speed is expected during the next few days. On the forecast track, the centre of Beryl will approach the Lesser Antilles over the weekend, cross the island chain late Sunday or Monday, and move south of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Monday and Monday night.

Maximum sustained winds are estimated to be near 60 mph with higher gusts.

Additional weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, especially once Beryl reaches the eastern Caribbean Sea on Monday.

The system could degenerate into an open trough by the time it reaches the central Caribbean Sea and Hispaniola on Tuesday.