Oct. 10, 2005 –– Monday's heavy rains may put a damper on Columbus Day and Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Friendship Day activities. In fact, the Celebration Barbecue at Guy Benjamin School in Coral Bay is canceled.
Meteorologist Andrew Levine at the National Weather Service in San Juan said he expects heavy rain to continue throughout the morning, with off and on rain throughout the rest of the day. He said the territory could see two to four inches of rain Monday.
At 6:38 a.m. Monday at Weather Station Zephyr in Coral Bay, St. John, the rain was falling at 3.89 inches per hour with a wind gust hitting 32 mph. Between midnight and 8 a.m., .63 inches of rain fell.
Levine said he expects this weather to last at least through midweek. He said the weather will gradually begin to clear, but it could take until Thursday or Friday for the rain to completely depart.
"But this doesn't necessarily mean torrential rain, but the potential exists," he said.
He said the rainy weather is caused by a low-pressure system at the mid and upper levels sitting north of the territory. It is pulling up moisture from the southwest into the area.