The British Virgin Islands and the rest of the Leeward Islands are under a tropical cyclone alert as regional authorities monitor the potential threat of Tropical Storm Lee, which could become a major hurricane in the next few days.
The Department of Disaster Management said that the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services could issue a tropical storm or hurricane watch sometime Thursday, depending on the forecast track of Lee, which remains pretty uncertain due to its notable distance away from the islands.
However, the DDM noted that most forecast models continue to maintain that the centre will likely pass a relatively safe distance north of the northern Leeward Islands.
The Department said in the reasonable worst-case scenario, the system poses a minor threat to the islands with the potential to cause limited impacts from storm-force winds and high seas, resulting in minor disruptions to daily life.
It’s important to note that this assessment is subject to change as the system moves closer to the area and new information becomes available.
As of 5 AM Today, the center of Tropical Storm Lee was located near latitude 13.7 north, longitude 44.6 west or about 1260 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands or about 1460 miles east-southeast of the British Virgin Islands. The storm is moving west-northwest near 14 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next few days with a slight reduction in forward speed.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph with higher gusts. Continued steady to rapid strengthening is forecast, and Lee is expected to become a hurricane later today and a major hurricane in a couple of days.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 997 mb.
Residents are advised to stay alert and monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Lee closely. They are also urged to have their hurricane disaster plan prepared and ready in case of any emergency.