THE TROPICAL STORM Warning for Barbados has been discontinued.
This was disclosed by the Meteorological Service at the Grantley Adams International Airport which said Tropical Storm Bertha was expected to pass north of Barbados this afternoon.
The local Meteorological Service said it was also discontinuing the tropical storm warning and watch for St Vincent and the Grenadines, but they would remain in effect for St Lucia, Dominica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) in its 11 a.m. bulletin said that the storm is expected to move through the Central Lesser Antilles on Friday night and approach the US Virgin islands and Puerto Rico on Saturday.
NHC said that Tropical Bertha has maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (MPH) and “upper level winds are currently not favourable for additional strengthening and little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours”.
It said that Bertha is expected to produce rainfall amounts of one to three inches with isolated amounts of up to six inches across portions of the Leeward Islands as well as the US and British Virgin Islands on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Antigua-based airline, LIAT, said it had cancelled several flights in and out of Dominica and St. Lucia today “due to the impending passage of Tropical Storm Bertha”.
The airline said customers affected by the disruptions and who wish to rebook for a later date will be allowed to do so without change fees or fare differences. (ES)
