New tropical depression forms over the southern Windward Islands

Tropical Depression #5 at 3:15 pm August 24, 2006

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, August 24, 2006 - A tropical wave presently affecting the southern Windward Islands has developed into a tropical cyclone.

Aircraft reconnaissance presently in the system is reporting sustained winds just under that of a tropical storm. As a result the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said it will initiate the first advisory at 5 pm on the system either as Tropical Depression #5 or Tropical Storm Ernesto as it may become a storm by that time.

Earlier today, Barbados reported sustained winds of 37 miles per hour (mph) with wind gusts as high as 51 mph. Tobago had wind gusts to 36 mph. St Lucia reported sustained winds peaking at 33 mph with wind gusts to 43 mph.

This afternoon the centre of the cyclone dissipated and reformed between St Vincent and Grenada. Existing computer models have not taken this into account. The next model runs later tonight will be project a new path based on the new information from the hurricane hunter aircraft.

Intensity models are indicating that this will develop into a category one hurricane within three days and a category two by early next week.