Flash flood watch issued for Barbados as heavy rainfall expected

The Barbados Meteorological Services has issued a flash flood watch for the island as of 6 am on Wednesday. It said that the island will be experiencing excessive rainfall today which could generate flooding across the low lying areas on the island and the surrounding areas.

The forecasters also reported that these conditions are predicted to peak this morning into the afternoon with some improvement during the night.

According to the information, the possible impacts of this weather in Barbados could include runoff from higher elevations and soil erosion on exposed or scarred land surfaces. There could be water settlements on roads and fields at the foot of hills as well as coastal roads.

Also, the Met Services said that debris from higher elevations becoming combined within fast moving water flows could be another possiblitly while people could face delays on traffic routes with some roads becoming impassable.

While urging the public to stay indoors, the Barbados Met Services said that they should follow recommendations from the Department of Emergency Management.

The public is encouraged to monitor the weather websites and their respective social media pages along with the local media networks for further updates.

It is being said that a tropical wave will begin to affect Barbados this morning, Wednesday 3rd July 2024. Mostly cloudy skies with periods of heavy to intense showers, accompanied by gusty winds, and possible isolated thunderstorms are forecast with Maximum Rainfall Accumulations of 20.0 to 40.0 mm.

A Flash-Flood Watch is issued when heavy or excessive rainfall in a short period of time (generally less than 6 hours) could result in flooding within the Watch area. It does not mean that flooding will occur, but it is possible.

This Flash-Flood Watch was issued at 6am, 3rd July 2024, and will be terminated at 6pm or sooner if conditions warrant.