A hurricane watch is expected to be posted across the U.S. Virgin Islands by midday Sunday as a westward-moving tropical depression continues on a track near the Northeast Caribbean region.
"All indicators are that this weather system will be upgraded to Tropical Storm Debby on Sunday. It will likely be a hurricane by Monday or at least by the time it reaches the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday," meteorologist Alan Archer said Sunday morning.
At 5 a.m., the center of the depression was located about 1,200 miles east-southeast of the Virgin Islands at 13.5 degrees north latitude, 47.5 degrees west longitude. The storm system was moving to the west-northwest at 16 miles per hour with top winds of 35 miles per hour.
"Computer forecast models call for 90-mile-per-hour winds to be across the Virgin Islands Tuesday or Tuesday night as this weather system, by then Hurricane Debby, to be over or very near to the Virgin Islands," Archer said.
He suggested that residents in the Virgin Islands begin stocking up on batteries, non-perishable foods and medicines and filling vehicles with gasoline in advance of the anticipated storm's arrival.
The next complete advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Also on the weather map is a well-organized westward moving tropical wave that bears watching. "The wave is located near 22 degrees west longitude in the far Eastern Atlantic," Archer said. He added that numerous thunderstorms are associated with the wave. Computer forecast models have this wave becoming a named tropical system in a day or two and taking a course similar to Tropical Depression No. 7, the weather system that is expected to become Tropical Storm Debby on Sunday.
Archer's forecast can be heard on the Knight Quality Stations weather information line at 774-4786. Today's weather forecast can be accessed by clicking on the rainbow icon at the top of the Source menu.