Tropical storm Irene has Cayman Islands in far sight

(CNS): If the most recent storm formed in the Atlantic on Saturday afternoon stays on its current track it could be coming close to Cayman Brac by Wednesday forecasters predict. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami issued its first warning on Tropical storm Irene at around 6pm local time. The storm formed east of the Leeward Islands some 190 miles east of Dominica and with maximum sustained winds of 50mph Irene is currently moving west at 22mph. Forecasters said that Irene was expected to slow down over the next 48 hours as it turns ona west-northwest track and some strengthening expected. Irene could become the Atlantic 2011 season’s first hurricane by Monday, the NHC forecasters said.

Irene will pass over the Leeward Islands early Sunday morning and move into the Northeastern Caribbean Sea during the day and could approach the Dominican Republic late Monday by which time it is expected to be a hurricane. 

Tropical storm force winds currently extend outward up to 120 miles mainly to the north and east of the centre. The latest minimum central pressure reported by an air force reserve hurricane hunter aircraft was 1006 mb…29.71 inches.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued across the Eastern Caribbean

For more details go to the NHC website