BVI can experience storm-force winds up to Thursday morning — DDM

The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has said the British Virgin Islands ‘can’ experience storm-force winds through to Thursday morning, August 28.

At 5 pm local time, the eye of Hurricane Dorian had long passed but its outer bands were still moving over the British Virgin Islands.

The DDM said this movement should continue during the “next several hours as the system moves out over the Atlantic”.

Dorian’s hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from its centre while its tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles.

“Rainfall is still likely as the tail end of Dorian continues over the territory. A flash flood warning remains in effect until 2 am,” the DDM said, adding that warnings are still in effect for hazardous marine conditions.
Small craft operators are therefore advised to remain in port.

Hurricane Dorian is currently travelling 14 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds nearing 80 miles per hour with higher gusts.

The weather system is forecast to strengthen and become “a powerful hurricane during the next few days over the Atlantic waters”.