By the Caribbean Journal staff

Tropical Storm Dorian made landfall in the Eastern Caribbean on Monday, with tropical storm conditions including 50 mph winds affecting portions of the region through Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Early Tuesday morning, the storm had just moved to about 15 miles west of Saint Lucia into the Eastern Caribbean Sea, with tropical storm warnings now in effect for Martinique, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Puerto Rico.

Tropical Storm Watches were in effect for Dominica, Grenada, Saba, Statia and parts of the Dominican Republic.

Dorian is forecast to pass near — or south — of Puerto Rico on Wednesday and move near or over the Dominican Republic and then move northward on Thursday.

But the biggest question in the region was whether Dorian would eventually become a hurricane. While it had thankfully remained only a tropical storm as it passed through the eastern edge of the Caribbean, the NHC said the storm would indeed reach hurricane strength when it moved near Puerto Rico and the eastern Dominican Republic later this week.

Accordingly, Puerto Rico and parts of the Dominican Republic are now under hurricane watch.

Tropical Storm Watches were in effect for Dominica, Grenada, Saba, Statia and Puerto Rico.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere in the affected area within 36 hours.

Tropical storm watches mean tropical storm conditions are possible in the affected area within 48 hours.

The storm was expected to have left rainfall of between 3 and 8 inches in the area ranging from Martinique south to St Vincent, including Barbados, according to the NHC.

— CJ