Even as parts of the Caribbean continues to reel under the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma one week ago, additional hurricane warnings were issued for several islands as Hurricane Maria moved closer to the Leeward Islands yesterday.
The National Hurricane Centre's advisory at 5 pm yesterday placed Hurricane Maria approximately 225 km east-northeast of Barbados.
Although T&T was not placed under any threat, watch or warning officials at the Met Office advised the system could trigger moderate to heavy rainfall beginning early this morning, even as tropical storm watches were issued for Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Meanwhile, hurricane warnings have been issued for St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe and Dominica.
In its 6 pm bulletin yesterday, the Met Office said Hurricane Maria continued to strengthen as it moved west-northwesterly at approximately 24 km/per hour.
Although a slower motion was expected, additional strengthening was forecast with Maria set to become a near major hurricane as it moves across the Leeward Islands tonight.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued for Antigua, Barbuda, Martinique, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Lucia.
However, these are expected to be upgraded throughout today.
Hurricane watches were also issued for the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, while residents in Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy and Anguilla were placed under tropical storm watch up to yesterday.
Estimating that Maria's maximum sustained winds had increased to 120 km/ per hour with higher gusts at 5 pm yesterday, officials warned that hurricane force winds extended outward up to 30 km from the centre, with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 165 km.
Reminding citizens that T&T was in the rainy season and adequate preparations must be made to preserve life and property against adverse weather, the Met Office urged persons to remain alert and monitor changes in the forecast.