Tomas forecast to regain hurricane strength

(CNS): Tomas was building up strength again on Thursday morning as it headed towards the north-northwest. At 7am local time the tropical storm was packing winds of near 50mph and the National Hurricane Centre in Miami warned that it could regain hurricane strength over the next day or so. Located about 150 miles SSE of Kingston, Jamaica Tomas is travelling at 6 mph though an increase in forward speed is expected and the storm is now forecast to pass near Haiti or extreme eastern Cuba tonight. The storm does not pose any threat to the Cayman Islands local forecasters have said.

Tomas is expected to reach hurricane strength this weekendas it heads north towards the Bahamas where a hurricane warning is now in effect.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend currently extend outward up to 70 miles mainly to the east of the centre the NHC said.