The island of Barbados has been shut down as Tropical Storm Dorian inches closer to the island. This morning, the Mia Mottley led administration announced plans to shut down the country as of 10:00 am (Eastern Caribbean time) and stated that “only essential services in the private and public sectors should open today”.
Home Affairs Minister, Edmund Hinkson also issued a call to all Barbadians to be off the streets by midday.
According to the Policy Framework and Standard Operating Procedures for the Systematic Shutdown and Reactivation of Barbados, essential services in the private sector are: utility companies, supermarkets, mini-marts, shops, pharmacies, general stores including hardware stores and lumberyards, companies that provide public transportation and telecommunication providers,” the government statement said.
Meanwhile, St. Lucia has now been put on a hurricane watch and this prompted Prime Minister Allen Chastanet to chair a meeting of the National Emergency Management Advisory Committee (NEMAC) this morning.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to make a statement on national preparations after receiving a briefing from local officials including representatives of the Met Office and the National Emergency Management Organisation.
In it’s latest update - the Miami based National Hurricane Centre (NHC), said that the center of Tropical Storm Dorian was located near latitude 12.3 North, longitude 57.7 West.
Dorian is moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph and this motion is expected to continue through Tuesday night, followed by a turn toward the northwest on Wednesday.”
The NHC noted that on the forecast track, the center of Dorian is expected to be near the Windward Islands “late today and tonight, and move into the eastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday.
“Dorian is expected to pass near or south of Puerto Rico on Wednesday and approach eastern Hispaniola Wednesday night,” the NHC said, adding that maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with higher gusts.
“Some strengthening is forecast during the next few days, and Dorian could be near hurricane strength when it passes through the northern Windward Islands on Tuesday, and is expected to be a hurricane when it moves near Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola.”
The NHC said that swells generated by Dorian will be affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles by late Monday, adding these swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
All feeds
