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>TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING STATEMENT

WHCA31 TAPA

TROPICAL STORM WARNING STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
11:11 AM ECT WED, AUG 14, 2024

THIS IS FOR THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

... ERNESTO HAS BECOME A HURRICANE NORTH OF PUERTO RICO; HOWEVER SIGNIFICANT FLOODING STILL LIKELY FORTHE VIRGIN ISLANDS AS HEAVY RAINS STILL PERSIST.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMIAN IN EFFECT FOR THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURING WITHIN THE SPECIFIED AREA.

AT 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.5 NORTH, LONGITUDE 67.6 WEST OR ABOUT 243 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH (26 KM/H). A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND NORTH IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH A GENERALLY NORTHWARD MOTION AT A SLOWER FORWARD SPEED CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ERNESTO WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM PUERTO RICO TODAY, MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN ATLANTIC DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS, AND APPROACH BERMUDA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

DATA FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFTINDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 75 MPH(120 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES (55 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES (370 KM).

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 991 MB (29.27 INCHES).

RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES WITH POTENTIALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE ISLANDS. THEREFORE, A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT. RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AND RESIDENTS NEAR SLOPES SHOULD GUARD AGAINST MUDSLIDES.

MARINERS SHOULD STAY IN PORT AND SEA BATHERS SHOULD AVOID THE BEACH. SEAS ARE DETERIORATING RAPIDLY AND WILL PEAK NEAR 12 FEET AS THE STORM NEARS AND PASSES OVER THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS TONIGHT. A SMALL CRAFT WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT.

RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF HURRICANE ERNESTO.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE AT 2 PM ECT

FORECASTER

PATRICE EDWARDS