Editorial Staff

June 22, 2023 – The Caribbean Examinations Council will proceed with examinations as normal for all regions; an announcement which had been anticipated after as many as nine examination papers had reportedly been stolen from an exam centre in Jamaica.

The CXC candidates had been in a state of limbo, but a meeting held last Thursday June 15 with regional stakeholders affirmed the next step, which would be to carry out the examinations as scheduled.

The fireproof safe containing exams had been stolen on June 14 and contained both completed papers and the questions to nine exams yet to be administered region wide.

Students, teachers and parents had to wait for the outcome of an investigation into the issue before finding out whether exams would be pushed back. The Council on June 16 said with no evidence that the stolen safe had been compromised the dates for exams will continue as scheduled.

This was the second time the 2023 examination papers suffered some breach.  The first in May, also in Jamaica, was a reported leak of Mathematics Paper 2 ahead of the exam that same day.

Interestingly now, the Council has issued a new notice with there being a potential for some examination candidates to be delayed in testing; this time though, the threat is a natural disaster.  Tropical Storm Bret has caused some warnings to be issued in the lesser Antilles which includes Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Dominica.

The National Hurricane Center, in its 11 p.m. advisory (Wednesday June 21) informed that a Tropical Storm Warning in in effect for: Dominica, St. Lucia and Martinique.  A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for: Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Advice to students sitting the exams is to prepare to be present for their CXCs unless otherwise instructed by their country’s disaster preparedness office.

Staff Writer 

January 20, 2023 – A month and a half after the end of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season and five and a half months before the 2023 season is scheduled to begin, a new storm system formed and was under watch by the National Hurricane Center.

A Special Tropical Weather Outlook was issued around 10:05 am on Monday (January 16) by the US National Hurricane Center to discuss the potential for subtropical development over the northwest Atlantic.

The non-tropical low pressure system was centered in the northwest about 300 miles north of Bermuda and is producing storm-force winds and thunderstorm activity near the center.

The system has been forecast to move into much colder waters across Atlantic Canada by early Tuesday making it is unlikely that it will become a subtropical or tropical cyclone.

Now, experts believe, “We’re one step closer to officially moving up hurricane season.” However at this stage, there is no change to when the season officially begins.

The National Hurricane Center on Tuesday announced that it would formally start issuing its hurricane season tropical weather outlooks on May 15 this year, bumping it up from the traditional start of hurricane season on June 1. The move comes after several consecutive years of early named storms in the Atlantic. 

“Named storms have formed prior to the official start of the hurricane season in about half of the past 10-15 years, including each of the past six years. Many of the May systems are short-lived, hybrid (subtropical) systems that are now being identified because of better monitoring and policy changes that now name subtropical storms.”

While there was reassurance that early storms do not necessarily mean more fierce ones, the National Hurricane Center admits these earlier storms have generated discussion. 

“In 2020, NHC issued 36 “special” Tropical Weather Outlooks prior to June 1st. In order to provide more consistent information on the potential for late May and early June systems, NHC will now begin the routine issuance of the Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlooks on May 15, which is when routine Tropical Weather Outlooks also begin for the eastern Pacific basin.

NHC said:  There are no changes to the official June 1st start of the Atlantic hurricane season this year.

The National Hurricane Center, at 2 a.m. informed that Puerto Rico should expect strong rain bands from the tropical storm which has triggered storm watches and warnings for at least 10 Caribbean region countries.

Tropical Storm Isaias slowed from racing across the region at nearly 30 mph to now pacing at 21 mph in a north-westerly direction.  Hispaniola, home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic will experience storm conditions this morning and worse, the storm could become a killer.

“Isaias will produce heavy rains and potentially life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides across the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, northern Haiti, and over the southeastern Bahamas.”

The Turks and Caicos Islands, which has been on Tropical Storm Watch since Wednesday at 12 a.m. has announced a national lockdown by noon Thursday and shelters are due to open at 4pm.

The southeastern Bahamas will experience conditions on Thursday afternoon and the central Bahama islands are predicted to shoulder powerful 60 mph wind conditions throughout the day on Friday.

“Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Central Bahamas beginning Friday morning and are possible in the northwestern Bahamas beginning late Friday.”

The National Hurricane Center advisory informs that British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, northern Haiti, Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and eastern Cuba will receive between three and six inches of rain.

Even higher rainfalls are forecast for The Bahamas; from four to eight inches. Life threatening surf and rip currents are expected from today due to approaching Tropical Storm Isaias. 

“Swells generated by Isaias will be affecting portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico through today. These swells are forecast to reach the north coast of the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas this morning.”

The National Hurricane Center, in the latest advisory informs:

The Tropical Storm Warning for St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, St.

Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius has been discontinued.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…

* Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra

* U.S. Virgin Islands

* British Virgin Islands

* Dominican Republic entire southern and northern coastlines

* North coast of Haiti from Le Mole St Nicholas eastward to the

northern border with the Dominican Republic

* Turks and Caicos Islands

* Southeastern Bahamas including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long

Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana, and the Ragged Islands

* Central Bahamas, including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island,

Rum Cay, and San Salvador

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…

* Northwestern Bahamas including Andros Island, New Providence, Eleuthera, Abacos Islands, Berry Islands, Grand Bahamas Island, and Bimini

Interests in Cuba and the Florida peninsula should monitor the progress of this system.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.

The country, according to its Prime Minister Mia Mottley is on ‘full, high, alert” as one of three Caribbean nations under Tropical Storm warning.  St Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines were also put on the warning list today by the National Hurricane Center, based in Miami Florida.

“We expect the surf to be considerable, about 6 to 12 feet, that’s 2.5 to 3.5 metres and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy and Fisheries Division has made arrangements for a haul up to take place at Pile Bay and Bay street and Port Ferdinand and Port St. Charles are prepared to take in vessels this afternoon for safe harbor.”

On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley addressed her country and its visitors in a 36 minute nationally televised press conference on the encroaching hurricane.  Prime Minister Mottley’s focus was on the potential of the storm to evolve quickly, debilitate country operations and cause harm to people and property. 

I want to say to Badians; look, it is Sunday afternoon, it is 2:30, pause if you were sleeping, if you were eating, whatever you were doing focus on just getting yourself ready at home.  The first responsibility for yourself is by you,” with a sense of urgency, Prime Minister Mottley added, “Let us get out of the way, in the next few hours, the clean up around our house and the preparations. 

We do not know if this storm will quicken and if it does, we do not know what you will be able to do in the morning if/when the reconnaissance aircraft it presents a dimmer picture than we currently have.”

At the time of the press conference, she confirmed that meetings had already happened with all key agencies and plans were mobilized for even evacuations to take place.

“The St Lucy District Hospital is being evacuated this afternoon and people will go to the Gordon Cummins Hospital and the Geriatric Hospital from there.  The other place that will be evacuated is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and those persons will go to the psychiatric hospital.”

Some supermarkets agreed to extend their Sunday shopping hours; fishermen were asked to work immediately toward moving their vessels to safe ports and it was confirmed that generators at the hospital are in place and fully functional and established water tanks are full, with three new back-up water bladders preparing to be fast tracked from the harbor and into service as an emergency supply.  

A revised shelters list will be circulated by Barbados Government Information Services and due to school still being closed for the Summer break, Prime Minister Mottley assured that if necessary, capacity can be easily expanded.

“Transport Board buses will remain operational until midnight tonight and will start back at 5 am and obviously we will ask that those who have to work late this evening, that arrangements be put in place to have workers be able to get home.  And let us use the brotherly and sisterly spirit that we need.”

Capacity of buses for Sunday was at 75 in operation, still the Transport Authority was asked to “mobilise and know immediately who are some of the private sector operators who can supplement as we go forward.”

It was shared that the public transportation has a plan in place for after the storm.

Electricity, fuel and heads of departments of Civil Service were other major issues addressed by the Prime Minister.

Hon Mottley expressed that the electricity company, Barbados Light and Power had already addressed an area of concern in Spring Garden over the weekend.

Residents in areas where pumping stations are being outfitted with new generators were advised by PM Mottley to brace for an up to 3-hour interruption in electricity as the new equipment is installed.

“The truth is that we are significantly in a better situation with respect to water generation and water tanks this year than a year ago.”  

All government Permanent Secretaries, Chief Technical Officers and Heads of Department were scheduled to come in to work on Sunday to secure government equipment and files. 

Police Commissioner Tyrone Griffith, at the press conference, assured that the Royal Barbados Police Force will be on duty during the storm and encouraged residents to, from tomorrow, remain indoors and to be on their best behavior.

Prime Minister Mottley added that no one is expected to be out once the ‘shut down’ is given.

Not uncharacteristic for Caribbean countries, a prayer was rendered for the safety of the Barbados.

Seventh Day Adventist Elder, Colin Jordan who is also a Barbados Government, Cabinet Minister prayed in part: “We are happy Father that you have called us to lead and to be responsible citizens in this country. We recognize that while you are in control and while you have promised to protect us, you have also said to us that faith without works is dead.  And so as we prepare for any challenge that may come form Tropical Storm Dorian, we pray that you will give us wisdom, knowledge, understanding and help us to see what needs to be done and help us to treat this matter as one that is important and one that is urgent. We pray that you will protect our country…”

Barbados has a population of 293,131 people according to the CIA World Fact Book.

LOCATION…44.5N 43.1W

ABOUT 945 MI…1525 KM WNW OF THE AZORES

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…45 MPH…75 KM/H

PRESENT MOVEMENT…NE OR 55 DEGREES AT 17 MPH…28 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1002 MB…29.59 INCHES

Tropical Storm Debby is with stronger winds today than when she formed on Tuesday and was forecast, at that time to be a short-lived sub-tropical system, with no effect on any land mass.

There remains no coastal watches or warnings in effect for the storm, which has winds at 45mph and which is moving rapidly to the north-east at 17pm.

“At 1100 AM AST (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Debby was located near latitude 44.5 North, longitude 43.1 West.  Debby is moving toward the northeast near 17 mph (28 km/h), and it is expected to accelerate northeastward through the day today. Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Some weakening is forecast, and Debby will likely dissipate later today or tonight.”  

It was also explained in the NHC update that tropical storm force winds are outward up to 105 miles and estimated central pressure is at 1002mb.

Tropical Storm Debby formed near Boston and is nearest to St. John’s Canada, according to current models.  The storm is expected to stay well east of these areas, but ‘seas will kick up’ for a brief period explained an AccuWeather report on the system.

The next complete advisory on Tropical Storm Debby  is at 500 PM AST.

Tropical Storm Beryl Advisory Number   2

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL022018

500 PM AST Thu Jul 05 2018

…TINY BERYL STRENGTHENING OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC…

SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST…2100 UTC…INFORMATION

———————————————-

LOCATION…10.3N 42.8W

ABOUT 1295 MI…2080 KM ESE OF THE LESSER ANTILLES  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…50 MPH…85 KM/H   PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 275 DEGREES AT 16 MPH…26 KM/H  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1004 MB…29.65 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

——————–

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK

———————-

At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Beryl was located near latitude 10.3 North, longitude 42.8 West.  Beryl is moving toward the west near 16 mph (26 km/h).  A fast westward to west-northwestward motion is expected through the weekend.  On the forecast track, the center of Beryl will remain east of the Lesser Antilles through Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts.  Additional strengthening is forecast, and Beryl could become a hurricane by Friday or Saturday.  Beryl is forecast

to degenerate into an open trough just east of the Lesser Antilles over the weekend.

Beryl is a tiny tropical storm.  Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 1004 mb (29.65 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

None

Next complete advisory at 1100 PM AST.  

FROM NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

Due to the extensive damage caused in the United States and Caribbean last year, the World Meteorological Organization’s Region IV Hurricane Committee has officially retired these names. Storm names are retired if they were so deadly or destructive that the future use of the name would be insensitive – otherwise names are reused on a six-year cycle.

The committee also selected the replacement names for Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate with Harold, Idalia, Margot, and Nigel respectively that will first appear in the 2023 list of storm names.  

Including these four additions, there have been 86 names retired from the Atlantic basin list since 1953, when storms began to be named. The 2005 hurricane season has the most retired names (five) for one season.

Summary of the newly retired storms

Hurricane Harvey became a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale before making landfall along the middle Texas coast on Aug. 25. The storm then stalled, with its center remaining over or near the Texas coast for four days, dropping historic rainfall amounts, of up to five feet, causing catastrophic flooding in parts of southeastern Texas. Harvey is the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history (after inflation), behind only Katrina in 2005. At least 68 people died from the direct effects of the storm in Texas, the largest number in that state since 1919.

Hurricane Irma was a long-lived hurricane that reached category 5 intensity on Sept. 5. The catastrophic hurricane made seven landfalls, four of which occurred as a category 5 hurricane across the northern Caribbean Islands. Irma made landfall as a category 4 hurricane in the Florida Keys on Sept. 10 and struck southwestern Florida as a category 3 the same day. Irma caused 44 direct deaths as a result of its strong winds, heavy rain and high surf. In the U.S., seven direct deaths were reported, and an additional 85 indirect deaths occurred, 80 of which were in Florida. Hundreds more were injured preparing for the storm, during it or in its aftermath.

Hurricane Maria ravaged the island of Dominica as a category 5 on Sept. 19, and later devastated Puerto Rico as a high-end category 4 hurricane. It also inflicted serious damage on some of the other islands of the northeastern Caribbean Sea. Maria is the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history, behind Harvey and Katrina. Maria caused 31 direct deaths with 34 missing in Dominica, and two direct deaths in Guadeloupe. In Puerto Rico, the death toll stands at 65, which includes an unknown number of indirect deaths.  

Hurricane Nate crossed northeastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras as a tropical storm, then made landfall on the northern Gulf Coast as a category 1 hurricane. It brought rainfall that caused significant impacts in Central America, where media reports indicate that these caused 44 deaths in the region. An additional fatality in Panama was due to a “shipwreck,” bringing the death toll directly associated with Nate to 45. An additional nine people were missing in the region.

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center is a member of the World Meteorological Organization’s Region IV Hurricane Committee, and is responsible for issuing tropical cyclone forecasts and warnings for both the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific basins.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagra m and our other social media channels.

PRESS RELEASE:  NOAA