Hurricane watch lifted, storm watch for Sister Islands

Tropical Storm Ernesto: 3-day forecast track. NOAA/NHC graphic

Sunday,  August 27, 2006

With Ernesto now downgraded to a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Committee at its 4:30 pm meeting today (Sunday, 27 August) lifted its Hurricane Watch for the Cayman Islands with effect from 6:00 p.m. The NHC, however, instituted a tropical storm watch for the Sister Islands at the same time.

Though the system, forecast to travel in a north-westerly trajectory over the next 24 hours, does not realistically pose danger to Grand Cayman, the NHC continued to maintain caution with respect to the Sister Islands, given their location.

At 4 pm (local time), the National Hurricane Center in Miami, placed the system very close to the southwestern tip of Haiti. The Miami agency forecast that the centre of Ernesto will pass very near the southwestern tip of Haiti this afternoon or early evening and be near the southeastern coast of Cuba Monday morning.

Ernesto is expected to strengthen after it moves away from southwestern Haiti and it could regain hurricane status before it reaches the south coast of eastern Cuba tomorrow morning.

Based on that scenario and other aspects of the 4 pm advisory, the Cayman Islands Weather Service forecasts that by early Monday afternoon all three islands will begin to experience winds at around 15 to 20 mph, blowing in a west northwesterly direction. Seas on the western side of the islands, including Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, will be rough, with wave heights of six to eight feet.

In terms of rainfall, all islands will experience intermittent bands that are not expected to exceed a maximum of about half an inch per day through Tuesday afternoon.

This level of rainfall is not anticipated to disrupt the workday and businesses and schools should continue as normal.

In light of the Tropical Storm Watch, residents of the Sister Islands should maintain their level of preparedness.

The NHC will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further guidance, if needed, for the 7:00 p.m. local news.

Details of Tropical Storm Ernesto at 4 pm today (Sunday):

Longitude: 74.5 W
Latitude: 18.0 N
Proximity: 150 miles (240 km) west-southwest of Port au Prince, Haiti, and about 160 miles (255km) south-southeast of Guantamo, Cuba.
Speed of system and direction of movement: NW near 8 mph (13kph)
Maximum sustained wind speed: near 60 mph (95kph). Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) from the centre.
Gusts: Intermittent higher gusts
Minimum central pressure: estimated 1004 mb.

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