WHCA31 TAPA
TROPICAL STORM MARIA WATCH STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
6:00AM ECT SUN, SEP 17, 2017
THIS IS FOR ST KITTS AND NEVIS
..A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ANTIGUA, BARBUDA, ST. KITTS, NEVIS, MONTSERRAT AND ANGUILLA
TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE WATCH MAYBE REQUIRED FOR THE BVI’S LATER TODAY
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. A WATCH IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 48 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS, CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.
AT 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.0 NORTH, LONGITUDE 54.9 WEST OR
540 MILES SE OF ANTIGUA
540 MILES SE OF MONTSERRAT
590 MILES SE OF ST.KITTS/NEVIS
640 MILES SE OF ANGUILLA
740 MILES SE OF THE BVI
MARIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH (24 KM/H) AND THIS MOTION WITH A FURTHER REDUCTION IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF MARIA WILL BE NEAR THE LEEWARD ISLANDS MONDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 65 MPH (100 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS, AND MARIA WILL LIKELY BECOME A HURRICANE LATER TODAY. TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES (95 KM) FROM THE CENTER. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 994 MB (29.36 INCHES).
BASED UPON THE LATEST OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS, TROPICAL STORM MARIA COULD PASS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON TUESDAY AS A HURRICANE. FOR THIS REASON, A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN PLACE FOR THESE ISLANDS. TROPICAL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THESE ISLANDS AS EARLY AS MONDAY EVENING AS THE STORM APPROACHES THE AREA.
MARIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2-6 INCHES WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN LEEWARDS DURING THAT TIME. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.
SWELLS GENERATED BY MARIA ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFFECTING THE LESSER ANTILLES BY SUNDAY NIGHT. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS.
ALL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF MARIA CLOSELY AND TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
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