Current Location: 18.7N/59.9W
Geographic Reference: 215 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands
Movement: North-northwest at 3 mph
Maximum Winds: 50 mph gusting to 65 mph
Organizational Trend: Slowly Increasing
Forecast:
Over the next 24-36 hours the shear will keep the
intensity fairly stable. Beyond then, the shear weakens and on Saturday,
Ophelia could finally reach hurricane strength. Some weakening will occur
before Ophelia reaches the Avalon Peninsula on Monday. By then it will be a
tropical storm in the process of an extratropical transition.
A slow north-northwest
motion is likely for the next couple of days, followed by a shift to the north
and eventually to the north-northeast. Ophelia will gradually gain forward
speed with most of the acceleration occurring Saturday and Sunday. It will be
moving quickly when it reaches Newfoundland on Monday.
Lesser Antilles: Occasional squalls could
last into Thursday night.
Virgin Islands/Puerto
Rico: Most of the squalls are expected to remain east of the Islands however,
possible rain bands may affect the area later today into Friday.
Newfoundland: The first squalls could
arrive as early as Sunday night, with the worst conditions Monday morning.
Northeast Caribbean Sea: Occasional squalls will
produce gusty winds and periods of rough seas through early Friday.
Residents
and Visitors should monitor the progress of Ophelia as the Tropical Storm is in
close proximity to the territory. Be on the alert for any sudden issuance of
flash flood watches or warnings or a tropical storm warning as it relates to
this system.
The Department of Disaster Management will continue to monitor the weather conditions and provide updates accordingly. Please visit the DDM’s website at www.bviddm.com and subscribe to the notification link to receive further updates.
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.
