Dean Continues Westward

Published 19th August, 8:21pm

At 700 PM Dean was 17.5 N and 77.8 W or about 70 miles west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 265 miles east-southeast of Grand Cayman. Movement continues toward west near 20 mph. Maximum sustained winds are 145 mph. Minimum central pressure is 930 mb.

Hurricane conditions sweep across the southern coast of Jamaica as the eye of Dean passes just to the south of that island. Outer rain bands are affecting Haiti and eastern Cuba.

The continued motion between west and west-northwest is expected over the next 24 hours. On the forecast track, the centre of Dean will be passing very near the southwestern coast of Jamaica during the next several hours and just south of the Cayman Islands on Monday.

While conditions continue to look more favourable for the Cayman Islands, extreme caution is advised, as the system has shown itself to be subject to fluctuations and therefore posing continued threat to the Cayman Islands. Dean is an extremely dangerous category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph with higher gusts. Fluctuations in intensity are common in major hurricanes and are possible during the next 24 hours. Dean has the potential to become a category five hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Monday.

In its current motion, the situation with regards to impact on the Cayman Islands continues to be as indicated in the 4 pm update: tropical storm force winds are expected to affect the Sister Islands around mid-night tonight (Sunday), with abatement occurring by mid-day Monday. Grand Cayman should begin feeling the effects some two hours after midnight tomorrow (Monday) morning. By 5 pm tomorrow the tropical storm force winds should have abated.

With regard to storm surge, at this time storm surge of some one to three feet may be experienced at the south and south west and North Sound areas. The highest wave action is likely to be experienced first in the east coastal areas, followed by the southern coastal zones and on to the West Bay peninsula. The highest wave action could be up to 15 to 20 feet. Sister Islands should experience about four to six feet

Rainfall is not expected to be high, with predictions of some one to two inches tonight night through tomorrow night, gradually diminishing.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the centre and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. An observation of sustained winds of 80 mph was reported from Kingston Jamaica and an unofficial observation of

sustained winds of 100 mph was reported from Lionel Town, Jamaica.

If the current forecast holds, the maximum sustained winds that will be felt in the Cayman Islands will be between 60 and 70 mph. Tropical storm force winds are between 39 and 74 mph.

Further announcements will follow as the situation develops so everyone is urged to stay tuned to media channels.

For more information, log on to www.CaymanPrepared.ky

For further information contact: Pat Ebanks