Tropical Storm Lisa has formed…

At 9:00 am, Tropical Storm Lisa was located near latitude 15.5N, longitude 77.3W, or about 175 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica and 693 east of Half Moon Caye Belize. This system was moving to the west at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

A Tropical Storm Watch is currently in effect for Jamaica and Grand Cayman Island and watches/warnings will go into effect for Belize later today.

The NMS and NEMO continue to closely monitor the progress of the system and will continue to update the public regularly.

Activate your emergency family plan now.

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...NOAA HURRICANE HUNTERS INVESTIGATING THE DISTURBANCE...

At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the disturbance was centered near 165 miles (265 km) of Kingston, Jamaica. The system is moving toward the west near 12 mph (19 km/h), and a westward to west-northwestward motion is expected over the next few days. On the forecast track, the center will pass south of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands today through tomorrow and approach Central America on Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds remain near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. The system is expected to become a tropical storm later today. Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days and the system could be near hurricane strength by Wednesday. It has a high (90 percent) chance of formation during the next 48 hours and in the next 5 days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km)
from the center. The minimum central pressure estimated from NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft dropsonde data is 1003 mb (29.62 inches).

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...DISTURBANCE BECOMES TROPICAL STORM LISA IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA... EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...

At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Lisa was about 175 miles (285 km) South of Kinston, Jamaica. Lisa is moving toward the west near 14 mph, and a westward to west-northwestward motion is expected over the next few days. On the forecast track, the center will pass south of Jamaica today, south of the Cayman Islands tomorrow, and approach Central America on Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds remain near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is forecast during the next few days, and Lisa could become a hurricane over the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles (165 km) from the center. The minimum central pressure estimated from NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft dropsonde data is 1003 mb (29.62 inches)