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JAM | Sep 24, 2022

Jamaica lifts tropical storm watch as Ian shifts further south

Gavin Riley

Gavin Riley / Our Today

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A slowly organising Tropical Storm Ian, as captured by satellite imagery around 4:40 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Saturday, September 24, 2022, still gathers steam in the southern Caribbean Sea. (Photo: National Hurricane Center)

The Jamaica Meteorological Service today (September 24) discontinued the tropical storm watch for the island with immediate effect as a menacing Tropical Storm Ian brews just south of the country.

The Met Service, in a statement this afternoon, said the decision was taken as “conditions associated with a tropical storm are no longer expected in respect of Tropical Storm Ian.”

“Over the past several hours, the tropical storm has drifted a bit to the south, taking it farther from the coastline and placing the island outside of the projected range of tropical-storm-force winds,” the agency added.

The threat is not fully averted, however, as the Met Service disclosed that while Tropical Storm Ian remains over the west-central Caribbean, it could produce a large area of showers and thunderstorms that dominates weather over Jamaica through to Monday. It is around this time that Ian is anticipated to strengthen into the fourth hurricane of the season.

“Locally heavy rainfall could produce flash floods mainly over low-lying and flood-prone areas of southern and eastern parishes and residents are urged to remain alert,” the Met Service said.

Satellite-generated time-lapse of weather conditions in the southern Caribbean focussing on Tropical Storm Ian as at 3:40 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Saturday, September 24, 2022. (Content courtesy of NOAA/NHC)

As at 5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), the centre of Tropical Storm Ian was located near latitude 14.3 North and longitude 77.0 West—or roughly 410 kilometres south of Kingston.

According to the latest bulletin from the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), Ian is moving west at 26 kilometres/hour and currently packs maximum sustained winds near 75 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts.

The Cayman Islands National Weather Service has upgraded its alert level to a hurricane warning for Grand Cayman and a tropical storm watch for Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

Both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands could face isolated maximum rainfall totals of 10 inches associated with Tropical Storm Ian.

“These rains may produce flash flooding and mudslides in areas of higher terrain, particularly over Jamaica and Cuba,” noted the NHC.

A computer-generated, five-day projection for the centre of Tropical Storm Ian, and its progression through sections of the central and western Caribbean up to 5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Saturday, September 24, 2022. (Photo: National Hurricane Center)

The Cayman Islands, western Cuba and western Florida, particularly along its Gulf coast, are still expected to get a direct hit from a hurricane intensity Ian as early as Monday afternoon and well into next week.

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