National Hurricane Center: Tropical Storm Bret 2023 continues path to Caribbean
Tropical Storm Bret is expected to strengthen as it reaches the Lesser Antilles. Weakening is expected by Friday.
Tropical Storm Bret grew stronger on Wednesday as it took aim at islands in the eastern Caribbean that braced for torrential rainfall, landslides and flooding.
Bret had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) early Wednesday morning and was moving westward across the Atlantic Ocean at 14 mph (22 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The storm was located some 470 miles (760 kilometers) east of Barbados and is expected to grow stronger before lashing several eastern Caribbean islands on Thursday at near hurricane strength. A tropical storm watch was in effect for Barbados, Martinique and Dominica, as officials in the region urged people to prepare for Bret. A tropical storm warning was issued for St. Lucia.
"We all know the uncertainty with forecasting intensity, movement and impact of weather systems," Fitzroy Pascal at Dominica's office of disaster management said.
A special aircraft is expected to investigate the storm later Wednesday and provide a better estimate of Bret's intensity, according to the hurricane center. Officials said it was too soon to know where Bret's center would pass through, but they warned that up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain were forecast from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe south to Grenada and Barbados.
The government of Guadeloupe warned that inclement weather would start Thursday morning and continue until late Friday, with waves of up to 11 feet (3.5 meters).
SEE ALSO | NOAA predicts 'near normal' 2023 Atlantic hurricane season outlook
Hurricane season started June 1, and two named storm has already formed. The first one, Arlene, formed June 2 in the Gulf of Mexico and proceeded to track south away from the United States. It dissipated before causing any major damage to islands in the area.
SEE ALSO | How to prepare for a hurricane
Source: WTVD-TV
