By the Caribbean Journal staff

A Tropical Storm is heading for the Eastern Caribbean, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Dorian is approaching the Caribbean with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour, and the NHC said the storm could reach hurricane strength as it moves into the Eastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday.

The storm which was about 300 miles off the southeastern coast of Barbados late last night, has led to tropical storm warnings in effect for Saint Lucia, Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The center of Tropical Storm Dorian was expected to be near the Eastern Caribbean late Monday or early Tuesday, moving into the Caribbean sea on Tuesday.

A tropical storm watch was also in effect for Grenada, Martinique and, most recently, Dominica.

For now, the current projections do not show a hurricane making landfall either in the Eastern or Northern Caribbean — the current projections show a tropical storm in the Eastern Caribbean and a tropical depression by the time the storm makes its next projected landfall in the Dominican Republic.

A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected in the area in the next 36 hours; a tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said interests in Puerto Rico, the BVI and USVI, Haiti and the Dominican Republic should monitor the progress of Dorian.

Tropical Storm Dorian has already led to a wave of intra-regional flight cancellations, with regional airline LIAT cancelling 15 flights in the southeastern Caribbean on Monday, Aug. 26.

“LIAT will continue to operate its normal flight schedule in the unaffected territories in the network,” the company said.

— CJ