Jamaicans urged to monitor progression of Tropical Storm Bret

 

Jamaicans are being urged to monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Bret, as early projections now indicate that it will come close to the island.

 

Bret formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday and became the second named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

 

The Meteorological Service says the storm could become a threat as a hurricane, entering the Caribbean on Friday and weaken closer to Jamaica.

 

In an update Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Centre said Tropical Storm Bret is forecast to initially strengthen and then move across the Lesser Antilles near hurricane intensity on Thursday and Friday, bringing a risk of flooding from heavy rainfall, strong winds, and dangerous storm surge and waves.

 

The Lesser Antilles comprises islands and territories including, the US Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.

 

Puerto Rico and Haiti have also been warned to closely monitor the storm and have their hurricane plans in place.

 

The hurricane centre is also monitoring a tropical wave expected to develop into a tropical depression in the next few days.

 

 

Meteorologists say prior to this year, there had been no hurricane season on record in which two storms have formed between Africa and the Lesser Antilles in June.

 

Tropical Storm Arlene developed on June 2 and Tropical Storm Bret on June 19.

 

The Atlantic hurricane season started even earlier this year with the first storm forming in January.

 

The National Hurricane Center designated the unnamed system a subtropical storm.

 

Richard Thompson, Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), said meteorologists are considering extending the hurricane season as a result of climate change. 

 

"We have been seeing now, more so than normal, early season hurricanes and we do have late season hurricanes as well with hurricanes being formed beyond November," he noted while speaking Tuesday with Morning Agenda host Jodi-Ann Quarrie on Power 106. 

 

Based on the current trends, he said the hurricane season could potentially start even before May and end in December.