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Aug 20, 2020

Several Caribbean countries are under storm watch as a second tropical depression formed in the region Thursday morning (August 20).

Topical storm watches are in place for St Maarten, Saba St Eustatius, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla.

The nations have been put on alert as Tropical Depressions 13 and 14, which formed earlier today, pose threats to the region with strengthening likely over the next couple of days.

The National Hurricane Center said TD 13 was 750 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph moving west-northwest at  a 21 mph in its 11 a.m. advisory. It is expected to become a tropical storm later today.  It is projected to move north of the Virgin Islands and Puerto by Saturday.

Tropical Depression 14 which will impact parts of Central America and Mexico, likely as a tropical storm, as it strengthens later this week. Located more than 200 miles east of the Nicaragua-Honduras border, it could affect parts of the United States Gulf Coast next week. The system is currently moving throughout the Caribbean, bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms with gusty winds.

Additionally, a tropical storm watch has been issued for parts of northern Honduras, which may get tropical storm conditions tonight into tomorrow.

The system which becomes a tropical storm first will be named Laura, while the other will be called Marco.

A third system, this one a tropical wave, is also moving off the African continent, producing disorganised showers and thunderstorms. It is expected to move into the Atlantic by Friday, where it will likely slow down. The system has a 20 per cent chance of becoming a tropical depression or tropical storm over the next two days.

The Atlantic hurricane season – which began on June 1 and lasts until November 30 – has been one of the busiest on record with 12 named storms, including two hurricanes, Hanna and Isaias.