Tropical Storm Kirk to bring heavy rains to Caribbean - NHC

Barbadians will have to wait until after 5 o'clock this morning to know whether or not Government will order a national shutdown due to the passage of tropical storm Kirk.

Newsday was told that while TT had nothing to worry about, islands including Barbados and Guadaloupe are expected to be hit by the storm, which will then dissipate in the Caribbean Sea. As you look at the official forecast from the National Hurricane Center above, you'll notice that as soon as Kirk passes the Lesser Antilles, it weakens back into a depression. Its maximum sustained winds were 45 miles per hour. It was moving west at approximately 18 miles per hour.

Tropical storm warnings and watches continues for portions of the Lesser Antilles.

Kirk had maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour and was moving ahead at 15 miles per hour.

A tropical storm watch in effect for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Hazard Management Cayman Islands tweeted about the storm Wednesday morning, saying it was "currently a low threat" to the Cayman Islands.

There are no coastal warnings for the storm. Weakening is expected on Friday and this weekend after the storm enters the Caribbean. The NHC is giving post-tropical cyclone Leslie a 50% chance of tropical or subtropical development in the next two days, and a 90% chance over the next five days.

Wind: Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the warning area by Thursday afternoon, making outside preparations hard or unsafe.

RAINFALL: Kirk is expected to produce total rainfall of 4 to 6 inches across the northern Windward and southern Leeward Islands with isolated maximum totals up to 10 inches across Martinique and Dominica.