Florida - Wednesday October 19, 2023: The National Hurricane Center reports that Invest 94 has strengthened into a Tropical Storm that has been named Tammy.
The storm is expected to move near, or over the Leeward Islands Friday or Saturday, after which forecast models indicate it will make a sharp turn north away from the Florida peninsula.
WATCHES and WARNINGS
The government of Barbados has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Barbados.
The government of Dominica has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Dominica.
The government of France has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Martinique and Guadeloupe.
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours. Additional watches and warnings will likely be required later tonight or on Thursday.
Tropical Storm Tammy Advisory Number 1
As of 4 p.m. EST Wednesday afternoon the center of Tropical Storm Tammy was located near latitude 13 north, longitude 51.7 west.
Tammy was moving toward the west near 23 mph. A westward motion at a slower forward speed is expected through Thursday. Then a turn toward the west-northwest is forecast by Thursday night, followed by a turn toward the northwest Friday night or Saturday.
On the forecast track, the center of Tammy will move near or over the Leeward Islands Friday and Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles to the northeast of the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 millibars or 29.74 inches and gradual strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days.
WIND: Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area beginning on Friday.
RAINFALL: Through Saturday night, Tammy is expected to produce storm total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, with maximum amounts of 10 inches, across portions of the northern Windward into the Leeward Islands.
Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches with maximum amounts of 4 inches are expected for the British and U.S. Virgin Islands into eastern Puerto Rico. These rains may produce isolated flash and urban flooding, along with isolated mudslides in areas of higher terrain.
SURF: Swells generated by Tammy will begin affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles on Thursday. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
