TROPICAL STORM ERIKA STILL HOLDING ON AND HEADING TO PUERTO RICO FRIDAY

Some adjustments to watches and warnings at 8pm with Warnings going up for Turks and Caicos in the Bahamas and watches for the Central Bahamas.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Puerto Rico
* Vieques
* Culebra
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* British Virgin Islands
* Dominican Republic from the northern border with Haiti eastward
and southward to Isla Saona
* Southeastern Bahamas
* Turks and Caicos Islands
* St. Martin
* St. Barthelemy

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…
* Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Punta Palenque
* Central Bahamas

No real change in strength and Erika is still moving west though a little slower which is what usually happens when a course shift is about to get underway. The track will take Erika over Puerto Rico tomorrow and over or just north of the Dominican Republic as long as the northward component of motion develops.

SUMMARY OF 800 PM AST…0000 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…16.7N 64.7W
ABOUT 145 MI…235 KM SE OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…45 MPH…75 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 280 DEGREES AT 12 MPH…19 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1008 MB…29.77 INCHES




http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/05L/imagery/ft_lalo-animated.gif