Tropical Wave Lashes Lesser Antilles and the Virgin Islands

A robust tropical wave continues to produce squally conditions across the Lesser Antilles Thursday. The wave, along 63 west and south of 20 north, is tracking to the west at 15 knots and will move into the western Caribbean later this weekend. It will bring gusty winds and numerous showers and thunderstorms to Puerto Rico today and then Hispaniola on Friday. An upper-level trough is causing a southwest shear across the eastern Caribbean and over the top of this wave so any development will be slow for the time being. The upper-level trough will back to the west over the next couple of days and so will the shear, but if the wave continues to track under the shear, then development will continue to be slow. Tropical moisture from this wave should increase the chance of showers and thunderstorms across central and South Florida later in the weekend.

Another tropical wave along 96 west and south of 20 north is moving west at 10-15 knots, but convection associated with it has greatly diminished. Moisture from this wave will bring much-needed showers and thunderstorms to South Texas over the weekend.

Farther east, another tropical wave is located along 47 west and south of 10 north. It is moving west at 10-15 knots and shows little sign of organization.