Tropical Storm Dorian may reach hurricane strength over the Caribbean

Tropical Storm Dorian may reach hurricane strength over the Caribbean Sea by Wednesday. Barbados is feeling the effects of the strengthening storm Sunday.

As of 11 p.m. Sunday, Tropical Storm Dorian has maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour and is roughly 515 miles east of Barbados. The current location is at 11.7°N 55.3°W and the storm is moving west at 14 mph with minimum pressure of 1003 mb. Dorian is the fourth named storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season. It is forecast to become a hurricane, as it gains strength over the eastern Caribbean Sea.

Dorian is looking a little better over the last hour (17-18z). Not much has changed since last night. Wind shear is decreasing over Dorian, but it is still ingesting some dry air.

I’ll have the latest @NHC_Atlantic advisory and track on @winknews at 6, 6:30, 10 & 11 PM. pic.twitter.com/ruBJAWxnLv

— Zach Maloch ☈ (@ZachMalochWX) August 25, 2019

A Tropical Storm watch is in effect for Barbados, which means conditions are possible within 48 hours. Later on Sunday, there will likely be new watches for Windward and Leeward Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. Puerto Rico and Hispaniola should monitor the progress of Dorian.

WINK News Weather Authority continues monitoring the storm as it goes to the Caribbean and will have a better idea if Southwest Florida will be affected by it on Monday or Tuesday.