Tropical Storm Alex has maintained its WNW track, which will take it to pass North of the Dominican Republic. The Tropical Storm is expected to bring heavy rains, principally to the north coast. At 5 am AST, the center of Tropical Storm Alex was located near latitude 16.2 North, longitude 48.9W or about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands. Alex is moving toward the West Northwest near 13 mph or 20 km/hr. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (80 kph). Some strengthening is forecast by the US National Hurricane Center during the next 24 hours. U.S. weather forecasts indicate that the tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 145 miles (230 kms) from the center. The Center forecasts that the tropical storm may be a hurricane in about two days.
