Saint Lucia: Education Ministry advises to close schools amid rough weather

Saint Lucia: Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training Ministry has advised that all schools remain closed today as a result of the inclement weather.

Further advice will be provided in the coming hours. The Ministry encourages all to remain safe during this rainy period.

According to the 6 pm weather report for 26 September 2022, released by Saint Lucia Meteorological Services, the weather will remain generally cloudy with scattered showers, some of which may be heavy, and isolated thunderstorms. Winds blew from between the east near 15 mph or 24 km/h, with gusts near showers.

The weather service has advised the motorists and residents of the prone areas to look over the flooding and landslides.

The department has also shared a forecast for the Lesser Antilles – Partial clouds, along with scattered showers sometimes. The showers were heavy in some locations, with thunderstorms in the Windward Islands and south areas. However, the tropical weather remained moist and unstable conditions, which were associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

A low-pressured broad area over the central Tropical Atlantic moved slowly in the north-northwest direction, which has awakened the high chances of tropical cyclone formation in the upcoming five days. At 5 pm (Monday), the centre of Hurricane Ian was located near longitude 83.2 west and latitude 20.3 north, or about 155 miles (250 kilometres) southeast of the western tip of Cuba. TS Ian is moving toward the west-northwest at 13 mph or 20 km/h. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph or 155 km/h, with higher gusts. Rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Ian is expected to become a major hurricane tonight or early Tuesday. The warnings and watches for Hurricanes and tropical storms are in effect for the Florida Keys and west coast of Florida, along with western Cuba.