The governments of Barbados, as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines, have activated a hurricane watch as Tropical Storm Gonzalo grows in strength on its approach to the eastern Caribbean on Thursday (July 23).

As at 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Gonzalo was located near latitude 9.8 North, longitude 47.9 West—or some 1,470

kilometres east of the southern Windward Islands.

According to the latest bulletin from the

National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Florida, maximum sustained winds from the

tropical storm are clocking at 100 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts.

The NHC further forecasts Gonzalo to get

stronger in intensity during the next couple of days, and could become a category

1 hurricane later today.

Moving westerly at 19 kilometre/hour, the Barbados Meteorological Service expects Gonzalo to maintain a generally westward motion at a faster forward speed later on Thursday.

The Bajan Met Service further noted that the system may turn toward the west-northwest on Saturday, which would have the centre of Tropical Storm Gonzalo pass 128 kiolmetres south of the island.

Watch the ninth advisory on Tropical Strom Gonzalo below:

Advisory #9 – Tropical Storm GonzaloPosted by Barbados Meteorological Services on Thursday, July 23, 2020

“Gonzalo is expected to produce total rain

accumulations of two to five inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 7 inches

in Barbados and the Windward Islands from Friday night through Sunday night. Gonzalo

is also expected to produce total rain accumulations of 1 to 2 inches in

Trinidad and Tobago.  Rainfall in

Barbados and the Windward Islands could lead to life-threatening flash floods,”

the NHC advisory indicated.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane

conditions are possible within the watch area. 

A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first

occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside

preparations difficult or dangerous.

The US-based National Hurricane Center

contended that additional hurricane watches or warnings will likely be required

for some of these islands in the eastern Caribbean later today.