6:00 PM WEATHER REPORT 

DATE: 17TH SEPTEMBER 2017

FORECASTER: E.FRANCIS

PRESENT WEATHER AT HEWANORRA AIRPORT IS FAIR.

PRESENT WEATHER AT GFL CHARLES AIRPORT IS CLOUDY WITH SHOWERS.

PRESENT TEMPERATURE AT HEWANORRA AIRPORT IS 28 C OR 82 F.

TODAY’S MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE AT HEWANORRA AIRPORT WAS 32 C OR 90 F.

WIND AT HEWANORRA AIRPORT IS BLOWING FROM THE NORTHEAST AT 7 MPH OR 11 KM/H.

RAINFALL IN THE 24 HOUR PERIOD THAT ENDED AT 2:00 PM TODAY:

AT HEWANORRA AIRPORT: TRACE       AT GFL CHARLES AIRPORT: 0.2 MM.    

TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER SO FAR:

AT HEWANORRA AIRPORT: 43.1 MM      AT GFL CHARLES AIRPORT: 40.0 MM.   

SUNRISE TOMORROW: 5:52 AM.     SUNSET TOMORROW: 6:02 PM.

FORECAST FOR SAINT LUCIA VALID FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS

WINDS WILL BE BLOWING FROM BETWEEN THE NORTHEAST AND NORTH NEAR 23 MPH OR 37 KM/H, WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TONIGHT AND NEAR 29 MPH OR 46 KM/H WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TOMORROW.

WEATHER: CLOUDY TO OVERCAST SKIES WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS, PERIODS OF RAIN, GUSTY WINDS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

PERSONS LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES SHOULD TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THESE HAZARDS.

MARINE FORECAST FOR SEAS IN A 25 MILE OR 40 KM RADIUS FROM SAINT LUCIA

TIDES FOR CASTRIES HARBOUR: LOW AT 7:16 PM...HIGH AT 2:06 AM.

TIDES FOR VIEUX FORT BAY:   LOW AT 8:43 PM...HIGH AT 3:13 AM.

SEAS: LOCALLY ROUGH WITH WAVES AND SWELLS 6 TO 8 FEET OR 1.8 TO 2.4 METRES AND NORTHEASTERLY SWELLS NEAR 10 FEET OR 3.0 METERS. 

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION OR REMAIN IN PORT. RESIDENTS ARE ALSO ADVISED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE BEACHES.

FORECAST FOR THE LESSER ANTILLES

CLOUDY TO OVERCAST SKIES WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS, PERIODS OF RAIN, GUSTY WINDS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SAINT LUCIA.    

MARIA BECOMES A HURRICANE.

AT 5:00 PM. TODAY, THE CENTRE OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS NEAR LATITUDE 13.8 NORTH, LONGITUDE 57.5 WEST, OR  204 MILES OR 378 KM EAST OF SAINT LUCIA. MARIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH OR 24 KM/H.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTRE OF MARIA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON MONDAY NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH OR 120 KM/H WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS, AND MARIA COULD BE NEAR MAJOR HURRICANE INTENSITY WHEN IT MOVES ACROSS THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON MONDAY NIGHT.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES OR 30 KM FROM THE CENTRE AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES OR 165 KM. 

THE OUTERBAND OF MARIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOWERS, PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SAINT LUCIA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.