Hurricane Tammy remains with 85 mph winds and its rains begin to affect the Leeward Islands

He Hurricane Tammy according to the intermediate bulletin at 2:00 in the afternoon of National Hurricane Center (CNH), maintains maximum winds of 85 miles per hour (mph) and rains associated with its bands begin to affect areas of the Leeward Islandswhile continuing to move towards the northwest.

The agency highlighted in the bulletin that the seventh hurricane of the 2023 season was located at latitude 16.6 degrees North, longitude 61.2 degrees West, about 25 miles north-northeast of Guadeloupe, and about 50 miles southeast of Antigua. Tammy remains moving toward the northwest at about eight mph, and her estimated barometric pressure was 998 millibars (mb).

At the moment, the CNH has not issued a hurricane watch or warning for Puerto Rico.

“Tammy strengthens a little just east of Guadalupe. “Hurricane conditions and heavy rain are expected in parts of the Leeward Islands later today and tonight,” the NHC added.

Earlier, the National Weather Service (SNM) in San Juan reported that it maintained Its forecast of between two to four inches of rain for most sectors of Puerto Rico –mainly for the east–, and between one and two inches for the center, between this Saturday and Monday.

“These rains may produce isolated flash and urban flooding, along with isolated landslides in areas of higher terrain,” the CNH warned. “The surges generated by Tammy will continue to affect sectors of the Lesser Antilles over the next few days,” added the federal agency.

The meteorologist Lee Ann Englishof the SNM in San Juan, explained that Tammy will reach its closest point to the island on Sunday night, when the center of the cyclone will be located about 200 miles northeast of San Juan.

“Today is going to be variable, we are going to continue to see shower activity in the east of Puerto Rico, between light to moderate, in the morning period, and in the afternoon we could see the development of showers more in interior and western sectors of Puerto Rico, aided by local effects and instability due to an upper-level trough,” he detailed.

“As Tammy continues to move northwest, we’re going to see a little more influence from the hurricane’s moisture field and we could be seeing more frequent downpour activity. It is not that the hurricane is going to come our way, but that more humidity from external bands is going to reach the region and also, with these events that will change the pattern, we are going to see downpour activity in Puerto Rico,” he added. English.

Regarding maritime conditions, he indicated that waves of up to seven feet are expected.

“On the forecast track, the center of Tammy will move near or over portions of the Leeward Islands through early Sunday, and then move north of the northern Leeward Islands on Sunday afternoon,” the bulletin reads. recent.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Guadeloupe, Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy. Meanwhile, a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning remain in place for Saba and St. Eustatius. In addition, the CNH placed Martinique and the British Virgin Islands under a tropical storm watch.

“Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph with higher gusts. Fluctuations in intensity are possible over the next few days, but Tammy is expected to remain a hurricane as it passes near or over the Leeward Islands,” the CNH report adds.

The SNM meteorologist in San Juan urged caution among citizens when considering visiting bodies of water during this weekend. “Today (Saturday) it is going to rain and Sunday will probably be the rainiest day in Puerto Rico. Look at the weather conditions before visiting any river on the island, especially those in the east, where more downpour activity is expected, and also western sectors of Puerto Rico,” she commented.