Erika Weakens Slightly, Now Tracking To Pass Offshore of Brevard On Monday Night

By  //  August 26, 2015

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The 11 p.m. Wednesday National Hurricane Center update on Tropical Storm ‪#‎Erika‬, has the system slightly weaker with maximum sustained winds down to 40 mph with higher gusts. (NOAA image)

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE – The 11 p.m. Wednesday National Hurricane Center update on Tropical Storm ‪#‎Erika‬, has the system slightly weaker with maximum sustained winds down to 40 mph with higher gusts:

11:00 PM AST Wed Aug 26
Location: 16.7°N 60.2°W
Moving: W at 16 mph
Min pressure: 1006 mb
Max sustained: 45 mph

Erika continues westward around 16 mph and is still forecast to reach the Bahamas this weekend with a gradual increase in strength, potentially posing a threat to Florida late into the weekend and early next week.

While there remains plenty of uncertainty in track and intensity with Erika into the weekend and early next week, it is never too early to have an emergency preparedness plan in place so that you can be ready to act if necessary.

Visit http://www.ready.gov for more information and continue to closely monitor the latest updates on Erika by visiting the National Hurricane Center website at www.nhc.noaa.gov

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER UPDATE

Tropical Storm Erika is expected to move through the Leeward Islands overnight. It’s centered about 195 miles east of Antigua, moving toward the west at 17 mph.A west-northwestward motion at a slightly slower forward speed is expected over the next 48 hours.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Anguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Guadeloupe, the north coast of the Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Cabo Frances Viejo, the Southeastern Bahamas and the Turks & Caicos Islands.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph. Little change in strength during the next 48 hours is expected.
On the forecast track, the center of Erika will move near or over portions of the Leeward Islands tonight, move near the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Thursday, and be near or just north of the north coast of the Dominican Republic on Friday.

Erika is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches – with maximum amounts of 8 inches – across portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic through Friday.
One should remember to not focus on the exact forecast track, especially at the long range where the average NHC track errors during the past 5 years are about 180 miles at day 4 and 240 miles at day 5.
Get the latest on the tropical cyclone by visiting the NHC website at www.hurricanes.gov