Tropical storm watches have been issued for the Saba Islands, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla. Additional tropical storm watches or warnings may be issued Thursday for areas of the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, the hurricane center said. “On the forecast track, the center of the storm is projected to move through the Leeward Islands late Friday and Friday night and be near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico this weekend,” the hurricane center said. The storm is expected to dump between 3 and 5 inches of rain on the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola, forecasters said. Maximum rain could reach 8 inches. “These rains may cause isolated flash and urban flooding, along with isolated mudslides over areas of higher ground,” the hurricane center explained. By early next week, the system is forecast to be near Hispaniola, where it will weaken as it interacts with the island’s mountainous terrain.
