Tropical storm watches are in effect for Barbados, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe. Image courtesy of NOAA
Oct. 18 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Tammy is forecast to strengthen Thursday as it approaches the Lesser Antilles where it is to bring heavy rain starting Friday and the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend.
In its 2 a.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center said the storm was 480 miles east-southeast of Guadeloupe, moving west at 17 mph. The system has sustained winds of 40 mph.
Tropical storm winds extend outward as far as 140 miles from the storm’s center, NHC officials said.
According to forecasters, tropical storm watches are in effect for Barbados, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe.
A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions typically are possible within 48 hours.
Forecasters said the storm should demonstrate a westward motion at a slower speed through Thursday, adding that a turn toward the west-northwest is forecast for Thursday night.
After that, forecasters say, the system is expected to turn toward the northwest on Friday. On that forecast track, the storm should move near or over the Leeward Islands Friday and Friday night, forecasters said.
Through Saturday night, Tammy is expected to produce rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, and some areas could even see as much as 10 inches, forecasters said.
“Heavy rains from Tammy will begin to affect the northern Windward and Leeward Islands on Friday, spreading into the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend,” it said.
“This rainfall may produce isolated flash and urban flooding, along with isolated mudslides in areas of higher terrain.”