Ahead of the anticipated impact of Tropical Depression Grace, the Meteorological Service of Jamaica has activated a tropical storm watch for the island on Monday (August 16).

The Met Service, in an 8:00 am bulletin, warned that tropical storm conditions pose a possible threat to Jamaica within the next 48 hours as a disorganised Grace prepares to move closer to the island with the
potential to restrengthen.

“Widespread showers and thunderstorms associated with the tropical depression could generate flash floods and will affect Jamaica starting late tonight and continuing through the day on Tuesday as Grace passes north of the island,” the Met Service advised.

“Strong, gusty winds will also be experienced, primarily over northern parishes on Tuesday. Sea conditions will gradually deteriorate over the next 24-36 hours, especially east and north of the island and marine interests are urged to exercise caution,” the government agency added.

As at 8:00 am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), the centre of Tropical Depression Grace was located near latitude 17.4 North, longitude 70.9 West—or roughly 200 kilometres southeast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Grace, the seventh named system of the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, is moving wear at 24 kilometres/hour, and packs maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts.

On the forecast track, the centre of Grace will pass near the southern coast of Hispaniola today and tonight, and then between Jamaica, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tropical storm watches have also been activated for the entire coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Interests in Cuba and the Cayman Islands have also been advised to be alert as advisories could be issued in subsequent releases.

Over the past 12 hours, the Met Office indicated, forecast models have been making adjustments and predicted the approach of Tropical Depression Grace closer to the northern coastline of Jamaica than originally expected.

“Although there is still some uncertainty concerning Grace’s track, the centre is now expected to move over or close to southern Haiti today before passing between Jamaica and Cuba on Tuesday as a tropical storm,” the Met Service said.

Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Fred has regained its cyclonic definition and is expected to bring life-threatening flooding, stongs winds and storm surges to sections of the United States Gulf Coast later today.

According to the Florida-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), Fred is expected to strengthen further before making landfall. The system packs maximum sustained winds near 85 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts, however, after landfall tonight, Fred is expected to quickly weaken.

Additionally, the Bermuda Weather Service has activated a tropical storm watch amid a nearby low-pressure system, which has developed into Tropical Depression Eight.

Bermuda Weather said Tropical Depression Eight continues to meander nearby, slowly circling the island’s marine area east through the south as it gains strength.

“Expect occasional bouts of inclement weather with heavy downpours possible in fringe rain bands, should they move across the island,” Bermuda Weather noted.