Calmer weather for Eastern Caribbean but caution advised

The Eastern Caribbean islands are due for a calmer day of weather following yesterday's heavy rain.

A tropical wave, along with an upper level trough over the northeast Caribbean, has been influencing the weather over the Leeward Islands.

By 9.40am local time on Thursday, St Kitts and Nevis had already seen up to 11.7cm (4.6 inches), and over the day moderate to major flooding affected low-lying and flood prone areas.

All schools across the federations, as well as many businesses, were closed, and the public were advised to stay in safe places.

Dominica and the Lesser Antilles’ forecast today is one of cloud patches moving westward, which are expected to produce scatted showers over the morning.

This will be followed by a gradual drying out of the atmosphere as a high pressure system will begin to establish itself across the area.

“A westward moving tropical wave located in the Tropical Atlantic is expected to generate an increase in cloudiness and shower activity across the area by late Saturday into Sunday,” said a forecaster from the Dominica Meteorological Service.

Moderate seas are expected during the next 24 hours with waves peaking near seven feet, they added.

Maclean Jn Baptiste of the St Lucia Met Service said that skies will be fair to cloudy, with a few showers. No small craft advisory is in affect.

The National Hurricane Center has confirmed that tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next five days.