DATE
ISSUED: Monday, September 23, 2019 @ 06:00 LST (10:00 UTC)
VALID
UNTIL: Tuesday morning (06:00 LST) September 24, 2019
…A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR ST. MAARTEN UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE…
WEATHER:
This morning: Partly cloudy to
cloudy and hazy with brief isolated showers possible.
This afternoon through Tuesday
morning: Generally cloudy and breezy with isolated showers and possible
isolated thunderstorms.
Forecast
High: 32°C / 90°F
Forecast
Low: 27°C / 81°F
Sunset
Today: 6:08
P.M.
Sunrise
Tomorrow: 6:02 A.M.
SURFACE
WINDS:
Today through Tuesday morning: Southeast to south with a moderate to
fresh breeze of 10 to 20 mph and higher gusts.
SYNOPSIS:
Growing amounts of moisture and
instability associated with the approaching outer bands of Tropical Storm Karen
will account for increased cloudiness and shower activity. Some of these
showers may be heavy and accompanied by thunder, especially during the latter
part of the forecast period.
A small craft advisory remains in
effect for St. Maarten as above-normal seas continue across the region. Small
craft operators and sea bathers should exercise extreme caution.
STATE
OF THE SEA: Moderate to rough
WAVES/SWELLS: 6 to 9 feet
SPECIAL FEATURES:
1.
At 05:00 am, the center of Tropical Storm Karen was located near latitude 13.6
north, longitude 63.9 west or about 310 miles south of St. Maarten.
Karen
is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h), and this general motion is
forecast to continue today. A turn
toward the north is expected on Tuesday.
On
the forecast track, the center of Karen will move across the eastern Caribbean
Sea through tonight. The center of Karen
is forecast to pass about 160 miles west-southwest of St. Maarten on Tuesday
afternoon.
Maximum
sustained winds remain near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Some
fluctuations in strength will be possible during the next 48 hours due to
strong upper-level winds.
Tropical-storm-force
winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km), mainly northeast through
southeast of the center.
The
latest estimated minimum central pressure reported is 1007 mb (29.74 inches).
2.
Tropical Depression 13 has formed in the far Eastern Atlantic at 11:00pm last
night. T.D. 13 is located near 10.8N 22.2W or about 2780 miles east-southeast
of St. Maarten, moving West at 15 mph.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts.
A general motion toward the west is expected through Monday, with a motion
toward the west-northwest expected Monday night and Tuesday.
On the forecast track, the center of the depression should pass well over 1000
miles east of St. Maarten on Saturday.
Steady strengthening is expected, with the depression forecast to become a
tropical storm later today and possibly a hurricane by Tuesday night.
The
Meteorological Department of St. Maarten will continue to monitor the progress
of these systems and update the public accordingly.
OUTLOOK through Wednesday morning: Generally cloudy and breezy with scattered showers and thunderstorms.
