BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – The regional airline, LIAT, Wednesday announced the cancellation of several flights as a strengthening Tropical Storm Kirk moved closer towards the Lesser Antilles.

LIAT said that several of its flights would either be delayed or cancelled “in the interest of passenger and crew safety” and that it would continue to track this system and update passengers on changes to its schedule.

According to the airline, among the flights cancelled are LI 336 from Trinidad to Barbados, LI 368 from Barbados to St Lucia, LI 369 from St Lucia to Barbados, LI 769 from Barbados to St Vincent and LI 770 from St Vincent to Barbados.

It said that several other flights have been retimed including the LI 523 departs Barbados for Grenada, the LI 523 departs Grenada for Trinidad and LI 393 which departs Barbados for Ogle in Guyana.

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Kirk is on a path to dump heavy rains that could bring dangerous flooding to the eastern Caribbean.

At 8:00 am EST, the National Hurricane Center says the centre of Kirk was about 60 miles (95 kilometres) east of Barbados. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving ahead at 16 mph (26 kph).

Tropical storm-force winds are blowing as far as 140 miles (225 kilometres) from Kirk’s centre. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the islands of Barbados, St Lucia, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

The storm’s centre will move across the Lesser Antilles by Thursday evening on its current track.

Forecasters expect it to gradually weaken into a tropical depression after it crosses the island chain and moves along a path south of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Cuba and Jamaica.

– Additional reporting Associated Press