Tropical Storm Grace has made landfall in the eastern parish of St Mary, meteorologists say, as the system dumps torrential rains and strong winds across Jamaica on Tuesday (August 17).

The centre of Tropical Storm Grace was located near latitude 18.3 North, longitude 76.8 West—or directly over Green Castle, St Mary.

According to an 11:00 am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) advisory from the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), Grace continues its western movement at 24 kilometres/hour and packs maximum sustained winds of 85 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts.

So far, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has advised members of the public to avoid Fairway Avenue in Kingston as winds associated with Tropical Storm Grace have downed a utility pole in the area. Another electrical pole has reportedly fallen along Retreat Avenue, near Old Hope Road.

Motorists are also being urged to avoid Norbrook Drive in St Andrew as the thoroughfare is impassable due to flash flooding. The Bull Bay main road is also impassable at this time, the JCF reports.

Elsewhere in the Corporate Area, traffic flows continue to crawl in Half-Way-Tree despite main arteries avoiding major flooding. Opposite the Half-Way-Tree Transportation Centre, as well as lower Constant Spring Road, was largely flooded around noon. So far, Hagley Park Road and other nearby main roads have been coping with the excess water.

For its part, the National Works Agency (NWA) is urging persons to exercise extreme caution amid the rapidly deteriorating weather.

The NWA added it has received reports of fallen trees in St Mary, impacting communities such as Harmony Hall, Belfield, Whitehall, Cumsie, Highgate, Richmond, Prospect, Martins and Ballards Valley.

The Boundbrooke to Rio Grande main road in Portland is also impassable at this time.

Reports of flooding in St Thomas have also trickled in to the NWA, the government agency indicated via Twitter.

Meteorology stations upstream of the Bog Walk Gorge in St Catherine are reporting the area may be close to its flooding threshold.

Our Today will provide further updates as information becomes available.

UPDATE (1:16 pm): The Jamaica Constabulary Force is confirming that Marcus Garvey Drive is impassable at this time. Please avoid the area and find alternate routes where possible.

(1:31 pm): Motorists are also being urged to utilise other avenues as a section of Molynes Road is blocked by a fallen tree.

(1:41 pm) The JCF has advised that the Benson Ford near Grants Pen, St Andrew is impassable in its current state. Motorists are urged to use alternate routes where possible.

(2:35 pm) Member of Parliament for West Rural St Andrew, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn says she has received reports of landslides in the Mount Prospect area of the parish. She advises motorists to use alternate routes where possible until the area can be cleared of all debris.

(2:41 pm) The National Works Agency (NWA) is reporting that the Bog Walk Gorge is closed. The Rio Cobre, which cuts through the gorge, has overflowed its banks and has covered Flat Bridge. Use alternate routes through Sligoville and Barry, etc. where possible.

(3:30 pm) Another section of Molynes Road is said to be impassable due to a fallen tree, the National Works Agency (NWA) says. This time, in the Half-Way-Tree area in the vicinity of Apex Healthcare Associates. Motorists are being asked to use alternate routes where possible.