St Kitts and Nevis to open govt offices today as Tropical Storm Ernesto passes

St Kitts and Nevis: The National Emergency Management Agency of St Kitts and Nevis announced that Tropical Storm Ernesto has moved away from the Federation but continues to strengthen.

The officials announced the reopening of all government offices from Wednesday onwards as the storm passed away.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Denzil Douglas took to Facebook to share the information and remarked, “All government offices will reopen tomorrow, Wednesday, August 14, please be guided accordingly.”

While the storm moved away, NEMA urged the residents to stay prepared for further moderate to heavy showers with the chances of thunderstorms over the next few hours.

According to the information, the tropical storm warning for the island nation was discontinued as of 8 pm, August 13 but a flash flood warning remains in effect.

The storm caused heavy rainfall, localized flooding and thunderstorm across St Kitts and Nevis throughout Tuesday, causing pool of water on the streets.

The Agency also remarked that people can also expect winds near storm force strength, accompanies by higher gusts as Ernesto has not yet completely left the Caribbean region.

In addition to this, the forecasters announced that the weather tonight is anticipated to be cloudy, with brief evening showers along with a slight chance of thunderstorms. It was said that today, clouds are predicted to decrease, with a moderate chance of morning showers.

As of 5 pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Ernesto was located at latitude 18.0°N and longitude 64.1°W, around 104 miles northwest of St Kitts and Nevis, and the storm was moving west-northwest at a speed of 18 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and a minimum central pressure of 1001 millibars.

NEMA further urged all residents to exercise caution, especially when going outdoors, and to stay informed by monitoring updates from official channels.

The agency said that it would continue to provide updates when necessary, but people should prioritise their safety and adhere to all safety advisories.