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.
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.
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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