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JAM | Nov 17, 2023

Potential Cyclone 22 to douse Jamaica well into Sunday, Met Service warns

/ Our Today

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A satellite-generated time-lapse of Potential Cyclone 22 on its slow approach to Jamaica from the central Caribbean Sea as at 8:10 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, November 17, 2023. (Content courtesy of NOAA/NHC)

The Jamaica Meteorological Service says that as Potential Cyclone 22 drifts north over the Caribbean Sea, cloudy conditions with widespread rainfall and occasional thundershowers will persist across the island today (November 17).

Jamaica’s national weather watchdog, after activating a tropical storm watch last night, further noted that southern parishes can expect strong gusty winds especially.

The Met Service, in its 5:00 am forecast, indicated that the system was last located 325 kilometres west-southwest of Kingston.

With a “medium” 50 per cent chance of further development, Potential Cyclone 22 has triggered similar tropical storm watches for southern Cuba, Haiti, the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the cyclone can possibly intensify into a Tropical Storm Vince as early as this afternoon.

As at 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time (EST), Potential Cyclone 22 packed maximum sustained winds at 55 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts. Moving northeast at 17 kilometres/hour, the system is expected to increase its forward speed through the weekend.

A three-day computer projection of the path of the centre of Potential Cyclone 22 as at 7:00 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, November 17, 2023. (Photo: National Hurricane Center)

Current projections plot the system making direct landfall along Jamaica’s southwestern coast—near Westmoreland and St Elizabeth—before barreling through southern Cuba and the southeastern Bahamas and TCI. The system, which is anticipated to have strengthened into Tropical Storm Vince, juts into the open waters to the Atlantic Ocean thereafter.

Countries in Central America as well as portions of Cuba, Hispaniola and Jamaica face a sustained torrential downpour, up to an isolated maximum rainfall exceeding 16 inches through Sunday morning, in addition to tropical-storm-force wind conditions, minor coastal flooding and life-threatening surf.

In the meantime, the Met Service says the maximum temperature anticipated for Kingston and Montego Bay is 28 degrees Celsius.

Breakdown of towns and cities forecast: 

Towns and CitiesForecast
Morant BayRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
KingstonRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
Half-Way-TreeRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
PortmoreRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
Spanish TownRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
May PenRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
MandevilleRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
Santa CruzRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
Black RiverRain/Intermittent showers/Windy
Savanna-La-MarRain/Intermittent thundershowers
NegrilRain/Intermittent thundershowers
Port AntonioRain/Intermittent thundershowers/Windy
Port MariaRain/Intermittent thundershowers/Windy
Ocho RiosRain/Intermittent thundershowers/Windy
St Ann’s BayRain/Intermittent thundershowers/Windy
Browns TownRain/Intermittent thundershowers
FalmouthRain/Intermittent thundershowers
Montego BayRain/Intermittent thundershowers
LuceaRain/Intermittent thundershowers

Also, see more on Jamaica Met Service’s three-day outlook:

Saturday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms mainly across eastern parishes.
Sunday & Monday: Mainly sunny morning. Partly cloudy afternoon.

Tags
Caribbean Sea Cuba Haiti Hispaniola Jamaica Meteorological Service National Hurricane Center Potential Cyclone 22 The Bahamas Tropical Storm Vince tropical storm watch Turks and Caicos Islands Weather Watch widespread thunderstorms

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