MIAMI (AP) – Rivers surged across a large section of the Dominican Republic on Thursday as a broad area of low pressure headed east to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, officials said. It will feel like summer once again with isolated showers and storms returning to the forecast by Sunday.
Advertisement
Lester’s hurricane-force winds extend up to 35 kilometres from its centre, and tropical-force winds extend outward up to 150 kilometres.
Even if the storm remains a messy tangle of thunderstorms, forecasters warn Hispaniola and central Cuba could get hit today with heavy rains that could trigger unsafe flash floods and mudslides.
“While uncertainty on the case remains high at this time, there is the potential for tropical storm conditions impacting the islands”, forecasters said.
Tropical Storm Madeline is gaining strength as it moves northwestward, and is on the verge of entering the central North Pacific basin.
“We expect 99L to become Tropical Depression Eight and then Tropical Storm Hermine at any time over the next few days”, said AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski. This system is moving northwestward through the Straits of Florida at about 10 miles per hour. Lester’s maximum sustained winds are near 60 miles per hour (95 kph) with some strengthening forecast over the next two days.
The hurricane center said gusty winds and heavy rain will be possible over parts of east and southern Cuba and the Bahamas today and will spread to south Florida later this weekend.
The National Hurricane Center now estimates the probability of this system becoming a tropical depression or storm within the next 48 hours at 10 percent.
The Ministry of National Security is reminding residents that Bermuda continues to be in the midst of hurricane season.
The National Hurricane Center is allowed to reuse names of previous storms as long as the storm was not a substantial hurricane.
Advertisement
The season average is 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
