Tropical Storm Don heads Eastward in the Atlantic

Should not effect Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tropical Storm Don approached the Windward Islands on Tuesday as it moved toward the eastern Caribbean after forming in the Atlantic Ocean.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while a tropical storm watch was in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia and Bonaire.

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Don formed Monday afternoon in the Atlantic. This is a very small tropical storm, which can lead to rapid development/intensification. The National Hurricane Center is reminding folks in the Windward Islands that Don could intensify into a hurricane, even as their forecast suggests only modest intensification as a tropical storm Tuesday and Wednesday.

Earlier on Monday an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft investigating the area of low pressure located east-southeast of the Windward Islands has found a small, but well-defined surface circulation and a small area of tropical-storm-force winds over the eastern semicircle of the circulation. The associated convection is not particularly well organized, but there is a curved band located to the north of the center and a couple of bursts have formed closer to the small circulation center this afternoon.

Based on these data, advisories are being initiated on a tropical storm, the fourth of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. Don is currently within a low shear  environment and over warm water, so some strengthening is possible Today and Wednesday. Once the system enters the eastern Caribbean Sea, strong upper-level westerly winds and strong low-level easterly flow are likely to cause the small circulation to open up into a trough. As a result, dissipation is forecast within 72 hours.

Don is moving westward or 275/15 knots. The tropical storm is forecast to move quickly westward within the strong trade-wide flow for the next few days. 

The government of Trinidad and Tobago has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Grenada.The government of Barbados has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Barbados and for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The government of St. Lucia has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for St. Lucia.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case in the next 24 to 36 hours.  A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case in the next 24 to 36 hours.

Interests in Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao should monitor the progress of Don.

As of 11:00p.m. on Monday, the center of Tropical Storm Don was located near latitude 11.3 North, longitude 54.6 West. Don is moving toward the west near 17 mph and this motion is expected to continue through Wednesday, with a gradual increase in forward speed. On the forecast track the center of Don will move through the Windward Islands late tonight and Wednesday morning.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1009 mb (29.80 inches).

When it come to wind, Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area by Wednesday morning. Tropical Storm conditions are possible in the watch area Tuesday and Tuesday night.

In terms of rainfall, Don is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches across the Windward Islands through Wednesday morning.