The Antigua Met Office has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for the Virgin Islands. A Tropical Storm Warning means that Tropical Storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area…in this case within the next 24 hours.
At 5:00 a.m., the centre of Tropical Storm Bertha was estimated near latitude 13.0 north and longitude 57.0 west. Bertha is moving toward the west-northwest near 20 mph and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days.
On the forecast track Bertha is expected to pass near or north of Barbados this afternoon and move through the central Lesser Antilles tonight and into the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 45 mph with higher gusts. No significant change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1008 mb.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
Wind: Tropical storm conditions are possible in the warning area in the Virgin Islands on Saturday.
Rainfall: Bertha is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches with isolated amounts up to 6 inches across portions of the Leeward Islands and the Virgin Islands through Saturday night.
Residents are urged to monitor the system as it progresses. The Department of Disaster Management will continue to monitor TS Bertha and provide updates accordingly. Please visit www.bviddm.com and subscribe for 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.
