VITEMA Watching Two Storms Which Could Impact Territory

Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency State Director Mark Walters said Tuesday that VITEMA is closely monitoring two areas of disturbed weather in the Tropical Atlantic.  
The first system will bring squally weather to the region later this week and an overall increase in the potential for shower activity beginning on Thursday. The second system is further to the east about 400 miles west south-west of the Cape Verde Islands.
“We have been working since the weekend with hurricane forecasters at the National Hurricane Center and meteorologists at the San Juan Weather Service in analyzing these weather systems and looking at long range computer models in projecting how close either may come to the Territory,” Walters said.
As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, the first tropical wave was about 550 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. Cloudiness and showers associated with the wave changed little in organization since the morning.
The latest forecast calls for moisture ahead of the first wave to begin impacting the region on Thursday night.
Low level moisture will be gradually increasing as the fairly moist air ahead of the wave enters the Eastern Caribbean region. The wave is expected to affect the Virgin Islands on Thursday night and Friday.
“We can expect an increase in showers and overall squally weather,” Walter said, noting that the wave has the potential to become a tropical depression over the next few days.
A Hurricane Hunter aircraft was deployed to investigate the system this afternoon.
“I encourage all residents to closely monitor the progress of this strong tropical wave,” Walters said.
Across the local waters, mariners should expect winds of 17 knots and seas of five feet or less through Wednesday. Overall marine conditions will deteriorate on both Thursday and Friday with the approach of the tropical wave.
 In terms of the second tropical wave, showers and thundershowers associated with this weather system remains disorganized. Slow development of the system is possible during the next couple of days as it moves to the west-northwest at 10-15 miles per hour.