Tropical Storm Chantal was moving rather quickly across the Caribbean Sea Tuesday evening. The storm was traveling west-northwest at 26 mph. Sustained winds have increased to 65 mph, and the storm may strengthen further before making landfall in the Dominican Republic Wednesday afternoon. The long range track of the storm takes it into the Bahamas as a weak tropical storm by late in the workweek. The storm may eventually have an impact in the Southeastern United States, but it is too early to say if it will be as a tropical storm, tropical depression or just a low pressure system bringing showers.
SUMMARY OF 800 PM AST...0000 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...15.4N 64.9W ABOUT 220 MI...360 KM SSE OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO ABOUT 395 MI...635 KM ESE OF SANTO DOMINGO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...65 MPH...100 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...WNW OR 295 DEGREES AT 26 MPH...43 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1006 MB...29.71 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * BARAHONA TO SAMANA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * PUERTO RICO * ENTIRE COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC * ENTIRE COAST OF HAITI * TURKS AND CAICOS * SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS * VIEQUES AND CULEBRA * CENTRAL BAHAMAS INTERESTS IN EASTERN CUBA AND THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF CHANTAL. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 800 PM AST...0000 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 64.9 WEST. CHANTAL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 26 MPH...43 KM/H. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF CHANTAL WILL PASS SOUTH OF PUERTO RICO TONIGHT...AND IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR OVER THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. CHANTAL IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THESE WINDS ARE CONFINED TO A SMALL AREA TO THE EAST THE CENTER. CHANTAL IS FORECAST TO BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE REACHING HISPANIOLA. TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...150 KM...MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1006 MB...29.71 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS SHOULD REACH PUERTO RICO TONIGHT OR EARLY WEDNESDAY...AND REACH THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN HAITI BY LATE WEDNESDAY. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...THE TURKS AND CAICOS...AND PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY. STORM SURGE...A STORM SURGE...ACCOMPANIED BY DANGEROUS WAVES...WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY THE FOLLOWING AMOUNTS ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... PUERTO RICO....1 TO 3 FT SOUTHERN AND WESTERN HISPANIOLA...2 TO 4 FT NORTHERN HISPANIOLA...1 TO 3 FT SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS....1 TO 3 FT RAINFALL...CHANTAL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE LEEWARD AND WINDWARD ISLANDS...WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES EXPECTED OVER PUERTO RICO...THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND PORTIONS OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI...WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES POSSIBLE.