9th September 2010 – At 8:00AM the center of Tropical Storm Igor was located near Latitude 14.1 North/Longitude 24.2 West, or about 50 miles south southeast of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands. Igor is drifting northward at about 2 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 40mph. Igor is expected to gradually turn west northwest today then accelerate and take a track to the west by Friday. By Sunday Igor is expected to slow down slightly and turn to the west northwest again.
Easterly winds should limit the amount of strengthening over the next 24 hours. Beyond this time, Igor should enter more favorable environmental conditions for strengthening. By late Saturday or early Sunday, Igor could become a hurricane. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Igor could be a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale by early next week.
While the long-range forecast indicates Igor will stay north of the Caribbean Sea, it is too early to predict the track with any certainty. Experts predict that on the forecast track Igor would take at least 7 or 8 days to impact the northeast Caribbean.
Residents are urged not to become relaxed, but to remain in a state of high alert. We are now in the peak of the 2010 Hurricane Season, and any preparedness issues not addressed earlier should be taken care of as soon as possible. Further advisories and information on developing systems in the Atlantic can be found on the Department of Disaster Management’s website at www.bviddm.com.
Disclaimer: The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) is not an official Meteorological Office. The Information disseminated by the Department is gathered from a number of professional sources used or contracted by the DDM to provide such information. This information is to be used as a guide by anyone who has interest in local weather conditions. By no means can the DDM or the BVI Government be held accountable by anyone who uses this information appropriately for legal evidence or in justification of any decision which may result in the loss of finances, property or life.
