Tropical Storm Laura will make a long journey through the northern Caribbean over the weekend before skirting the west coast of Florida and hitting the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane, according to a new track cone released by the National Center. Hurricane Report
Laura, which formed this Friday, is moving west towards the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, with maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 km / h).
Tropical storm winds extend from the center of the storm up to 150 miles (240 km).
In Laura’s trajectory are, among other islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) and Cuba, before approaching the United States.
At the other end of the Caribbean, the tropical depression “Catorce” which, according to the forecasts of the National Hurricane Center (NHC), may turn into a tropical storm this Friday, threatens the coast of Honduras and the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and may also end up in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico.
If it becomes a tropical storm, according to this year’s list, it will be named Marco.
Much of the Caribbean is under a weather alert and preparations to protect itself from the Laura and Catorce winds and rains are underway.
In Florida (USA), the authorities of Monroe County, to which the keys, the chain of islets between the continental US and Cuba, have declared a state of emergency since this Friday and have issued orders mandatory evacuation for people living in boats, mobile homes, campsites and other similar places.
According to the NHC, at 2:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT) the center of Laura was about 175 miles (280 km) east southeast of the northern part of the Leeward Islands and tropical storm conditions were already being felt in the area.
A tropical storm crossing warning is now in effect for Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra, the British and US Virgin Islands, Saba and St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla and Montserrat, and the north coast of the Dominican Republic, from Cabo Engaño to the border with Haiti.
In addition, there is a storm watch for the northern coast of Haiti, from St. Mole to the border with the Dominican Republic, the southeast of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The NHC warns that Cuba and the rest of the Bahamas should be on the lookout for Laura’s development, which is moving west at 18 miles per hour (30 km / h) and in the next few days will make a turn to the west-northwest and charge more speed.
The winds are expected to strengthen slightly in the coming days, as it moves into the Caribbean interior.
This afternoon it will be near or over parts of the Leeward Islands, Saturday morning near or over Puerto Rico, that same day in the afternoon, and Sunday morning near the north coast of Hispaniola.
“Marco” on the threshold
As for the tropical depression “Catorce”, at 14.00 (16.00 GMT) its center was located about 180 miles (295 km) east-northeast of Roatán Island, in Honduras, and about 280 miles (455 KM) to the southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.
The depression has maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (55 km / h) and is moving at 14 miles per hour (22 km / h) heading northwest.
The trajectory pattern indicates that today it will move away from the coast of Honduras and approach the east coast of the Yucatan peninsula on Saturday.
Downtown Catorce will cross the northeastern part of the Yucatán on Saturday night and move from the central Gulf of Mexico to the northwestern part on Sunday and Monday.
For today a strengthening of the winds is expected that will make Catorce a tropical storm and by Saturday it may have reached hurricane force when it reaches the Yucatan Peninsula.
At the crossing of the peninsula it will weaken, but it will become stronger when it is already in the waters of the Glfo.
There is a warning or watch for the passage of a tropical storm for the islands of the Bay of Honduras and for different areas of Cancun, Mexico, and surroundings, in addition to a hurricane watch from Punta Herrero to Cancun.
The risks of these systems to land are rain, wind, possible flash floods and landslides, according to the NHC.
– .
