Tropical storm disorganised, heads to Puerto Rico

(CNS): Tropical Storm Gabrielle, which formed South of Puerto Rico late last night, poses no threat to the Cayman Islands, weather officials have said, but the storm and other weather systems are being closely monitored. At 8am Thursday morning the centre of the storm was about 65 miles WSW of Ponce, Puerto Rico, moving northwest at near 8mph. Forecasters said a turn toward the north-northwest is expected on Friday, with a slight decrease in forward speed. On the forecast track the centre should pass near or over the southwestern portion of Puerto Rico this morning and across the Mona Passage later today. Gabrielle should then move east of the Turks And Caicos Islands on Friday.

With maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and higher gusts, weather experts described squalls to the northeast of the centre, in what they said was a poorly organized storm with little change in strength expected today, though some slight strengthening is possible tonight and Friday. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the centre.

Meanwhile, Cayman was expecting another showery day in association with the interaction between a slow moving tropical wave and a upper level low over our area. Radar images show widely scattered showers, mainly east of Cayman Brac and southeast of Grand Cayman moving west to northwest.