15th September 2010 –At 5:00AM the centre of Hurricane Igor was located near Latitude 19.5 North/Longitude 54.5 West, or about 570 miles east of the Northern Leeward Islands. Movement is to the west-northwest at 9mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 145mph making Igor a category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricane force winds extend outwards up to 45 miles and tropical storm force winds extend up to 225 miles. Estimated minimum central pressure is 935MB.
Forecasters expect Igor to slowly weaken by Friday. A general northwest motion is expected during the next 48 hours.
A small craft advisory is in effect for the Virgin Islands as marine conditions are expected to deteriorate today through Friday. Swells generated by Igor will begin affecting the Virgin Islands later today and Thursday. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
HURRICANE JULIA
At 5:00AM, Hurricane Julia was located near Latitude 17.3 North/Longitude 31.8 West, or about 525 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands. Maximum sustained winds are now near 135 mph. Movement is to the -northwest at 10 mph.
Experts forecast Julia to move generally to the west-northwest to northwest over the next five days. This will keep Julia over the open Atlantic and away from any land areas.
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.
