BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Heavy rains associated with Tropical Storm Gonzalo were nearing Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday and a tropical storm warning had been put into effect for Tobago.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that the storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (mph) was now 100 miles east of Trinidad and was moving west at a speed of 18 mph.

“A general westward to west-northwestward motion is expected for the next couple of days. On the forecast track, Gonzalo will move across the southern Windward Islands this afternoon or evening and over the southeastern Caribbean Sea on Sunday.”

The NHC said that little change in strength is forecast before Gonzalo reaches the southern Windward Islands later on Saturday and that “weakening is expected after Gonzalo moves over the southeastern Caribbean Sea, and the system is forecast to dissipate by Sunday night or Monday”.

Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines have cancelled tropical storm warnings, while it is in effect for Tobago, Grenada and its dependencies, meaning that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 24 hours.

“Interests elsewhere in the Windward Islands should monitor the progress of this system,” the NHC said, adding Gonzalo is expected to produce total rain accumulations of one to three inches, with isolated maximum amounts of five inches in Barbados, the Windward Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago through Sunday night.

Gonzalo is also expected to produce total rain accumulations of one to two inches in northeastern Venezuela through Monday.