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The National Hurricane Center is watching Tropical Cyclone Nine, giving the system a 90% chance of becoming Tropical Storm Isaias within the next 48 hours – it’s expected to slam the Caribbean and reach Florida by Sunday.
The National Hurricane Center is predicting that Tropical Cyclone Nine will likely become Tropical Storm Isaias within the next 48 hours or less, giving the system a 90% chance of development.
In case you’re wondering on how to pronounce Isaias, the pronunciation is: ees-ah-EE-ahs.
Because the system is still trying to get organized, forecasters say it will not be able to significantly strengthen. In fact, it’s facing a lot of obstacles along the way.
The islands with tall mountains, such as those in the Dominican Republic are currently in the path, and those could interfere with development or even destroy the system’s circulation. In addition, as the system moves towards the US, hostile upper-level winds are forecast this weekend north of Cuba and through the Gulf of Mexico, which could also weaken the storm.
Three years later, Puerto Rico is still working to recover from the category 4 Hurricane Maria that struck in September 2017, as well as damage from a string of earthquakes earlier this year that damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in the southern part of the island. Now, the island is bracing for what could be Tropical Storm Isaias.
The biggest danger is heavy rains and strong winds that could create flash flooding and mudslides. The island is currently under a tropical storm watch.
If you can help, it’s a good time to donate to charities that provide assistance to Puerto Rico.
Tropical storm warnings and watches have been issued for the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, from the Leeward Islands to the southeast Bahamas. Forecasters say that heavy rain is expected through Thursday, stretching from the Leeward Islands to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. The rain could trigger flash flooding and mudslides.
Martinique, Barbuda, San Juan and Puerto Plata are under tropical storm warnings, while Santo Domingo and Santiago de Cuba are under tropical storm watches.
As of 5 AM Eastern time Wednesday morning, the system was about 600 miles east-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, WinkNews reported. The system was moving at 23 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. current forecasts see the system continuing in a general west-northwest direction, putting it just south of the Leeward Islands on Wednesday, and near or over the Greater Antilles on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
As of Wednesday, Tropical Cyclone Nine was headed towards Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The system is expected to reach the area by Thursday. From there, it’s currently on track to reach the Bahamas on Friday, Cuba on Saturday and potentially reach Florida by Sunday.
However, according to The Weather Company, the system is still in a formative state, without a clear low-pressure center. Because of these conditions, the forecast track of the system is still uncertain. Weather reports that “this system has multiple obstacles to combat with the next few days” and adds that “it’s too early to precisely determine this system’s future track and intensity, especially with regard to the mainland US.”
Therefore, even though current computer models show the system moving toward Florida, that path could change significantly over the next couple of days.
