Region on alert for Potential Tropical Cyclone 5

A Tropical storm watch has been issued for portions of the Leeward Islands as Potential Tropical Cyclone Five makes its way towards the region.

The islands under a Tropical storm watch are Guadeloupe, St Martin, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Saba and St Eustatius.

These islands are expected to experience tropical storm conditions within the next 48 hours.

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) has urged residents of the British and US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico to monitor the passage of the system.

At 5pm, the storm was located 1,530 kilometres east-south-east of Antigua with maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour (45 KM/H).

 NHC said the system is moving toward the west-northwest near 21 mph (33 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue during the next couple of days.

On the forecast track, the disturbance is expected to move across portions of the Leeward Islands on Tuesday and approach the US and British Virgin Islands on Tuesday night.

The system is expected to develop into a tropical storm by late Monday.

It will be the fifth tropical storm of this year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season and will be called Ernesto.