TT BREATHES SIGH OF RELIEF

According to a Public Advisory posted on the National hurricane Centre Website, the Hurricane Watch for Trinidad was discontinued, but tropical storm warnings were still in effect for Barbados, Tobago, Grenada, the Grenadines, St Vincent, St Lucia and the Northern Coast of Venezuela.

The advisory stated that around 2 pm yesterday, the centre of Tropical Storm Emily was located about 130 miles, 210 km south-southeast of Barbados and about 150 miles, 240 km, east-northeast of Trinidad.

It added that, on the forecast track, the centre of Emily was expected to pass through the Sourthern Windward Islands last evening. The advisory noted that it appeared that Emily was unlikely to reach Hurricane strength before it cleared the Windward Islands.

At around 1 pm yesterday, the Met office, in a Tropical Storm Advisory Number Six, placed both Trinidad and Tobago under a tropical storm warning. They stated that although the computer models indicated that the storm was expected to make a gradual turn towards the west-northwest and pass just under to the south of Grenada, residents of Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada and its Dependencies were advised to take all precautions, in case Emily persisted in moving westward.

Up to newstime yesterday, the Met Office stated that, according to the forecast track and forward speed, Tobago was expected to feel the effects of Emily’s tropical storm winds by 4 pm yesterday and Grenada by 8 pm.

They advised that Tropical Storm conditions will cause sustained wind speed in excess of 65km/hr with higher gust of up to 118 km/h, heavy showers and thunder showers, rough seas with waves in excess of 4 metres, flooding and landslides. They cautioned small craft operators and sea bathers to take the necessary precautions.

They assured that the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management Emergency Operations Centre has been activated and is expected to remain in operation through last night and into today.

They said that the National Disaster Management Task Force both in Trinidad and Tobago have been engaged and, in the interim, the Task Force Teams have been fully mobilised and preparations for emergency services and critical facilities have been finalised.