ODM: Watch the weather

The National Hurricane Center, the Local Meteorological Office and the Office of Disaster Management together with other interest in the Lesser Antilles continue to keep a keen and watchful eye on a Tropical disturbance developing in the Tropical Atlantic, a message issued this afternoon from the Office of Disaster Management stated.

The message continued: "As of 11am this morning Thursday July 31th the Tropical system was located approximately 600 miles South East of the Dominica and is moving North West at 15-20 miles an hour. Although modules indicate that the system is likely to encounter dry air and westerly winds that are not very conducive for tropical development the National Hurricane Center, however, gives the system a 70% chance of developing into a Tropical Depression within the next day or two given the well-defined area of circulation. The National Hurricane Center will dispatch a Hurricane hunter aircraft during the afternoon of July 31st 2014 to further investigate the tropical system.

"On the present track Dominica will begin to feel the impact of this Tropical system by Friday night into Saturday morning. Although the system is at least two days away, the Office of Disaster Management and the National Emergency Planning Organization requires that all residents and other interest in Dominica begin to take all necessary proactive and precautionary actions in preparation and to be in a state of readiness should Dominica be placed under a watch and or warning..

"Some of the proactive actions residents are encouraged to take are as follows:

"Ensure that a plan of action is readily available that can guide your household, institution, and organization if the need arises.

"Residents ( persons) known to be living in very vulnerable areas, more specifically people prone to flash flooding, are to ensure that their surroundings are clear from debris, that drains and water ways are free from obstructions;

"Residents in such vulnerable areas are also required to be in a state of readiness should it become necessary to move to higher ground or to evacuate their area of residents.

"Such persons are asked to begin to identify evacuation routes to their closest and or preferred shelter area and to take all necessary action to do so at the earliest should the need arise.

"Village councils, committee groups and other interest are required to take all necessary action in ensuring that drains and waterways are cleared and to be in a state of readiness

"The general public is called upon to be extremely vigilant and to continue to monitor and listen to weather advisories as issued by the Dominica Met Office as the system continues to approach the island.

"The Office of Disaster Management will continue to monitor the system and will advise on any updates.

"For further information on the weather please log in to www.weather.gov.dm and www.odm.gov.dm and for current weather information call the weather hotline at 4475555".