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STRONG TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA SPAWNS TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE, THE THIRD NAMED STORM OF THE ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON (See the NOAA National Hurricane Center for the latest information on this storm. Complete advisories are posted at 11 a.m., 5 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. All times are Eastern. Advisories are posted more frequently as the storm nears the USA mainland.) July 8, 2003 � Reports from an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that the strong tropical wave in the central Caribbean Sea developed a closed circulation and has become a tropical storm. At 5 p.m. EDT, the poorly-defined center of Tropical Storm Claudette was located near latitude 15.0 north, longitude 71.3 west or about 415 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm Claudette taken by the NOAA GOES-10 at 2 p.m. EDT on July 8, 2003. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
Claudette is moving toward the west near 29 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. This motion could bring the center of Claudette near Jamaica on Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles to the north of the center. (Click NOAA tracking map for larger view of Tropical Storm Claudette.)
The minimum central pressure reported by the hurricane hunter is 1006 mb, 29.71 inches. Above normal tides accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves may occur along the south coast of Jamaica. Storm total rainfalls of 3 to 6 inches may occur along the path of Claudette. At 5 p.m. EDT, the government of Jamaica issued a tropical storm warning for Jamaica. The government of the Cayman Islands issued a tropical storm watch for the Cayman Islands.
For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation�s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Relevant Web Sites
NOAA National Hurricane Center — Get the latest advisories here
NOAA Atlantic Hurricanes Database — 150 Years of Atlantic Hurricanes
NOAA Forecasters Say Six to Nine Hurricanes Could Threaten in 2003
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24-hour Observed Precipitation as of 8 a.m. today
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NOAA's Storm Watch — Get the latest severe weather information across the USA Media Contact:
Frank Lepore, NOAA Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404
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