Jamaica braces for heavy rains from Tropical Storm Isaac

Jamaica could be affected later today by the outer bands of  Tropical Storm Isaac as it continues to move across the northern Caribbean.

The Meteorological Service says the current forecast track projects that Isaac will be closest to Jamaica, about 124 miles from the northeast coastline, tomorrow morning.

With the most intense showers and thunderstorms occurring to the left of  its track, the island could begin to experience rainfall associated with the storm as early as this afternoon with heavy outbreaks and gusty winds tomorrow, especially over northern and eastern parishes.   

Fishers on the cays and banks are urged to complete their preparations and be on alert to evacuate at short notice, should it become necessary.

Marine operators are urged not to venture far from mainland.   

The Meteorological Service says all interests, especially fishers and other marine operators, should pay special attention to further releases.

Isaac is moving towards the west-northwest near 16 miles per hour and this general motion is expected to continue until tomorrow.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 miles per hour, with higher gusts, and some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.

In the meantime, Tropical Storm Isaac is churning toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

It dumped heavy rain across eastern and southern Puerto Rico and whipped up waves as high as 10 feet.

U.S. forecasters said Isaac probably will not become a hurricane today as it approaches Hispaniola, which is shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

It's expected to weaken a little while crossing over Haiti and the eastern two-thirds of Cuba.

The storm was projected to head northwestward into the Gulf  of  Mexico and possibly be a hurricane by Monday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Centre in Miami said the forecast path was shifting westward, possibly to a track that could take the storm near the Alabama-Mississippi border Tuesday night.

Meantime the Office of  Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, ODPEM, is closely monitoring Isaac's movement.

Director-General, Ronald Jackson, told RJR News that the agency is looking at the various scenarios for previous storms that have passed between Jamaica and Haiti.