Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will continue to cause cloudiness, showers and thunderstorms over the Eastern Caribbean region during the next 24 hours. Tropical Storm Warnings and Watches are in effect for Martinique and areas further north. Residents and interests in the Eastern Caribbean region are advised to continue to closely monitor the progress of this system.

At 5 a.m. today, the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine was located near latitude 15.3 degrees north, longitude 61.3 degrees west or about 92 miles or 148 kilometres north of Saint Lucia. Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph or 75 km/h with higher gusts. Some strengthening is expected today, and a tropical storm is forecast to form later today, with weakening likely on Thursday due to land interaction.

The system is moving toward the west-northwest near 23 mph or 37 km/h, and this general motion with some slight reduction in forward speed is expected over the next few days. On the forecast track, the system will move through the Leeward Islands during the next few hours, near or over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico tonight, near or over Hispaniola on Thursday, and near or over the southeastern Bahamas on Friday. The Saint Lucia Meteorological Services will continue to closely monitor the progress of this system.

Meanwhile, a tropical wave located over the eastern tropical Atlantic is moving westward near 17 mph or 28 km/h.