The Caribbean region is now in the last month of the Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season that runs from June to November every year.
As the 2024 hurricane season comes to a close, chances have jumped to 40% that an area in the southwestern Caribbean may strengthen and become Tropical Storm Patty.
Weather forecasters are monitoring the area. The United States’ National Hurricane Center says there is a medium chance that a tropical system could develop there within the next seven days. It’s still too early to know where it’s ultimately headed.
On Sunday, 27 October 2024, Mike Fisher of DR1 Weather posted on the DR1 Forums calling for people to start watching the system developing in the southwestern Caribbean. It is what is known as a “left- handed storm,” he said, referring to the rarity of a storm blowing in from the West.
Eyes are on this system that has increased to have a moderate chance of turning into a storm, according to the most recent NHC forecast.
September is the peak month historically for hurricanes affecting the Dominican Republic. November, though, brought intense rains to the Dominican Republic, causing mayor flooding in 2022 and 2023.
Mike Fisher says as of mid-week, all eyes should be on this system to see if it develops.
Meanwhile, weather forecasters at the National Weather Institute (Indomet) report widespread rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds for areas in the Dominican Republic through Thursday, 31 October 2024.
Indomet explains that a trough of low pressure, remnants of a frontal system, and a moderate northeast wind are converging over the island.
According to Indomet, the country can expect scattered to moderate rainfall, with occasional heavy downpours, thunderstorms, and gusty winds beginning in the morning hours. Areas most likely to be affected include the northern, northeastern, and southeastern regions, particularly Puerto Plata, Espaillat, María Trinidad Sánchez, Samaná, Duarte, Hato Mayor, La Altagracia, El Seibo, and Monte Plata. As the day progresses, the rainfall is expected to extend to the Greater Santo Domingo area, San Cristóbal, Sánchez Ramírez, Monseñor Nouel, La Vega, San Juan, Elías Piña, San José de Ocoa, and nearby provinces. Nighttime showers will be most frequent in the northern, northeastern, and southeastern parts of the country.
Indomet says it is monitoring the weather system in the southwestern Caribbean, which it stresses has the potential to develop into a broad area of low pressure later in the week.
Read more:
Listin Diario
DR1 Weather
Acento
Newsweek
29 October 2024