PHILIPSBURG–Some good news for the people of St. Maarten/St. Martin: the island is now under a tropical storm warning, downgraded from a hurricane warning that was issued yesterday. This comes as a great relief for the devastated and exhausted people of the Dutch and French territories who lived through monster Hurricane Irma.
At 2:00pm, the centre of Hurricane Jose was located near latitude 18.8 North, longitude 61.9 West. Jose is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph (23 km/h). A continued northwest motion is expected during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the core of Jose will continue to pass north of the northern-eastern Caribbean through this evening.
Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 km/h) with higher gusts. Jose is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Gradual weakening is expected to occur over the next couple of days.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the centre and tropical-storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km).
The estimated minimum central pressure is 945 millibars (27.91 inches).
Tropical storm conditions are expected within the tropical storm warning areas through this evening.
Jose is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches in the portions of northern eastern Caribbean, with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches. This rainfall will maintain any ongoing flooding and may cause additional life-threatening flooding.
A dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by one to three feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast in the tropical storm warning areas. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Swells generated by Jose are affecting portions of the Leeward Islands, the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, and will begin to affect the northern coasts of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, and portions of the Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands over the next couple of days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/69252-island-now-under-tropical-storm-warning
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