Tropical Storm Bret could become hurricane threat to Caribbean

Eastern Caribbean may face a possible hurricane threat by Thursday as Tropical Storm Bret moves across the Atlantic, forecasts say.

Associated Press (AP) reported that the storm is expected to reach “Category 1 hurricane strength of 74 mph (120 kph) by Wednesday night as it nears the Lesser Antilles.”

According to The National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Bret formed in the central Atlantic Ocean on Monday, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). “Because of wind shear, the storm is not expected to strengthen into a Category 2 storm,” the AP report said.

The storm may weaken slowly as it traverses the eastern Caribbean, but it could “unleash flooding, heavy rainfall, and dangerous storm surges and waves,” the report said, adding that forecast “remains a low confidence prediction.” By the weekend, it may hit Dominican Republic and Haiti.

In the island of Dominica, its meteorological centre has advised the residents to closely monitor the developments on the storm, and to “ensure that they have their hurricane season plans finalized and ready for activation to protect life, property and livelihood,” Dominica News Online wrote.

Dominica has been one of the islands in the Caribbean that was hit by a powerful Hurricane Maria in 2017, and while it has been six years since it decimated almost 90 percent of the island, many residents still get anxious as soon as the hurricane season ushers in.

The local government of Dominica, through its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programme, has been able to build back better homes for its residents affected by Maria.

MMC Development Ltd., a private company based in Dubai, has been a crucial partner of the government in implementing its Housing Revolution agenda, which aims to construct climate-resilient infrastructure in the island. MMC Development Ltd. has led the construction of more than 2,000 houses for the residents, more than 12 healthcare facilities, a few educational institutions and the country’s most ambitious project—the international airport.

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