What to Know
- The National Hurricane Center issued its latest advisory for the system Wednesday evening, with winds at 50 MPH.
- A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for both Barbados and St. Lucia.
Days after seemingly falling apart in the waters east of the Caribbean, Kirk has regenerated into a Tropical Storm and has several nations bracing for impact.
Kirk had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph Wednesday as it moved west at 16 mph about 270 miles east of Barbados, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Kirk will pass over the Lesser Antilles on Thursday and then well south of Puerto Rico on Friday and Hispaniola on Saturday. By then it’ll again be in a moribund condition due to upper-level wind shear produced by a trough. This trough, while hurting the storm, could enhance rainfall, especially in Puerto Rico, where 2 to 4 inches are expected, with isolated amounts up to 6 inches in the east, southeast and south.
A tropical storm warning was issued for Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe while a tropical storm watch was in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Rainfall for the Lesser Antilles could reach between four and six inches with isolated amounts as high as 10 inches, according to the NHC.
At this point, the track of Kirk keeps the system south of both Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, but does not appear to be a risk to Florida or the United States.
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Little change in strength was forecast until Kirk crosses the Lesser Antilles, and weakening was expected over the eastern Caribbean Sea.
