THE Government of Trinidad & Tobago closed schools on Tuesday as forecasters warned that a tropical disturbance would bring heavy rains and gusty winds to the south-eastern Caribbean.

The approaching storm also prompted Barbados to shutter its public sector on Tuesday afternoon and suspended all public transportation.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Trinidad & Tobago as well as Grenada and its dependencies, with forecasters warning that up to six inches (15 centimetres) of rain could fall there and in north-eastern Venezuela. A tropical storm warning was issued for the northern coast of Venezuela from the Paraguana peninsula past the border with Colombia to the town of Santa Marta, as well as the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

In Trinidad and Tobago people were flocking to supermarkets buying essential supplies. Government offices were closed and the private sector indicated a phased closure of operations such as banks.

Caribbean Airlines, meanwhile, has cancelled its domestic services between the two islands as well as to Jamaica and Suriname, and has also rescheduled other flights to Curacao.

“Caribbean Airlines advises that there will be disruptions to its domestic and international flights due to the tropical storm warning issued for Trinidad and Tobago and the severe weather conditions expected between June 28 through July 1,” the airline said, urging customers to check their flight status by route or flight number.

And heavy rains and gusty winds linked to the tropical cyclone were beginning to spread over the southern Windward Islands on Tuesday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), in its 11:00 am bulletin, said the system was expected to grow into Tropical Storm Bonnie would pass over or near the southern Windward Islands on Tuesday night.

It was centred about 125 miles (200 kilometres) east of Trinidad and was heading west at 24 mph (39 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

Another disturbance further out in the Atlantic had a lower chance of becoming a named storm later in the week.

Far out in the eastern Pacific, meanwhile, forecasters said former Tropical Storm Celia became a remnant low. The storm had formed off the coast of Central America on June 17.

– AP and CMC reports