The Barbados Meteorological Services says Tropical Storm Beryl is strengthening and is expected to become a hurricane before reaching Barbados late Sunday night.
As a result, Barbados remains under a Hurricane Watch.
A Hurricane Watch is issued when sustained winds of 64 knots or greater (74 mph; 119kmh) associated with a hurricane are forecast to affect Barbados within 48 hours.
At 8:00 a.m., Tropical Storm Beryl was located near 9.8N 46.8W or about 1570km (975 miles) east-southeast of Barbados. Maximum sustained winds are 60 MPH (95 KM/H). Present movement is towards the west at 21 mph (33 km/h). The minimum central pressure is 999mb.
On the current projected track, the centre of Beryl is expected to pass 45 km (26 miles) south of Barbados. The island is expected to feel the impacts associated with this system from late Sunday night (June 30).
During the passage of Beryl strong winds can cause damage to homes and properties. Additionally, flash flooding is likely across the island especially in flood-prone areas and severe thunderstorm activity may cause multiple interruptions to power utilities and services.
Marine conditions will be hazardous ahead of and during the passage of Beryl and Small Craft and High Surf Warnings are currently in effect for above-normal sea swells.
The public is encouraged to follow the advice provided by the Department of Emergency Management and other local officials in addition to monitoring the BMS, DEM and GIS websites, their respective social media pages, and the local media networks for further information on Beryl.
The Hurricane Watch will be updated at 11:00 a.m. today.
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