Friday morning the 13th tropical storm of the season turned into a tropical Storm named Laura which is currently located 171km east of Puerto Rico, being in a west-northwest trajectory the center of the disturbance is expected to impact Haiti in the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Orange vigilance is decreed throughout the national territory by the national risk and disaster management system because of the threat posed by tropical storm Laura. Residents of risk areas are called upon to be vigilant because of the risk of flooding and landslides.

At 2:00 AM, the center of Tropical Storm Laura was located near latitude 17.3 North, longitude 64.4 West. Laura is moving toward the west-northwest near 18 mph (30 km/h) and a generally west-northwestward motion at a slightly faster forward speed is expected over the next few days. On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move near or over portions of the Virgin Islands during the next several hours, near or over Puerto Rico later today, and near the northern coast of Hispaniola tonight and and early Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Some slow strengthening is forecast during the next few days.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km) from the center.

Laura is expected to produce 3 to 6 inches of rain over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the Dominican Republic, the southern Haitian Peninsula and eastern Cuba through Sunday. Maximum amounts up to 8 inches are possible along eastern portions and the southern slopes of Puerto Rico, as well as over Haiti, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba. This heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding3

Les houles générées par Laura affectent des parties du nord des îles sous le vent. Ces houles devraient se propager sur les côtes nord de Porto Rico, Hispaniola et Cuba, et une grande partie des Bahamas au cours des prochains jours.

Swells generated by Laura are affecting portions of the northern Leeward Islands. These swells are expected to spread across the northern coasts of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba, and much of the Bahamas during the next few days.

HL/ HaitiLibre