Chantal spares Ja

MET OFFICE officials yesterday morning discontinued the tropical storm warning for Jamaica, and the National Emergency Operations Centre scaled down operations, as Tropical Storm Chantal moved away from the vicinity of the island.

Jamaica escaped almost unscathed by the storm which passed the island Saturday night and early yesterday, blowing strong winds across mainly southern and eastern parishes. Minimal rainfall, associated with cloud bands from the system, was also reported across the island yesterday morning.

Trees and utility poles brought down by gusts caused disruptions in a number of communities, and caused damage to private residences, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPEM) reported.

Residents in Olympic Gardens were trapped in their homes by a fallen tree and a downed power line, while a fallen utility pole at Buff Bay in Portland, caused a minor fire. Fallen trees were also reported at Whitfield Avenue, Kingston; Ellerslie Avenue, Spanish Town; Central Village, St. Catherine; Spanish Town Road; and Castleton, St. Mary.

Several residences at Foreshore Road in Port Royal were flooded as a result of high tides in the area.

Mostly fair weather conditions are expected today. However, the National Meteorological Service has advised small craft operators to exercise extreme caution, particularly in the island`s southern and western waters, until sea conditions return to normal.

Chantal, the fast-moving storm, which formed early Thursday, soaked small islands in the Caribbean and generated lightning bolts that killed two brothers collecting rainwater in Trinidad, could possibly hit land on Mexico`s Yucatan peninsula by late this afternoon.

It`s not well-organised, Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist at the US National Hurricane Center in Miami, said late yesterday afternoon. Right now it looks like it`s falling apart. But it`s been tricking us like that. If it survives the next 12 hours or so, conditions would be favourable for it to strengthen into a hurricane.

At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) Sunday, the centre of the season`s third named storm was near latitude 16.5 north, longitude 82.0 west, or about 445 miles (715 kms) east-southeast of Chetumal, Mexico.

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