Jittery Joyce
Publication: Sunday Sun
Paper Section And Page: 1A
Paper Date: Sun, Oct 1, 2000
Byline: by Terry Ally
JOYCE just will not go away and will not make up her mind.
After a six-hour hiatus yesterday when the shape dissipated, the winds decreased to barely a tropical storm, and the system travelled westward towards Trinidad, Barbadians breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward to the lifting of the tropical storm watch which was in force all day.
A meeting of top-level officials called for midday yesterday lasted less than an hour after it was felt that Joyce was no longer a big threat. However, by nightfall, heavy rain-bearing clouds fired up, the system got bigger and looked worse than during the day.
Although the threat of a direct hit on Barbados has virtually vanished, impact from the outer edges of the storm is likely to produce gusty winds and hazardous sea conditions, prompting the Barbados Meteorological Service to maintain its storm watch.
"I am concerned about what we call thunderstorm outflow boundaries which are normally associated with strong winds. These are coming our way and I am also concerned with the rough seas we can expect along the South Coast," Barbados’ chief meteorologist Chester Layne said just before press time.
As a result, he said he would keep the watch in place until the centre passed Barbados’ longitude of 59.32 degrees west, some time before midnight last night.
At 5 p.m. yesterday, the temperamental Joyce was located near 10.5 degrees north and 57.3 degrees west, or 260 miles east of Trinidad, moving quickly westward at about 16 miles per hour (mph). Maximum sustained winds were 40 mph, with higher gusts, and no strengthening was expected.
In Trinidad and Tobago, a tropical storm warning was issued yesterday for Joyce, which should start dumping rain on the republic this morning.
Barbadians, nevertheless, took Joyce seriously and stockpiled emergency supplies. Businesses closed early and battened down and at least one offshore company flew out its entire staff as a precaution.
Meanwhile, acting director of the Central Emergency Relief Organisation Clive Lorde said Barbadians must remember there were still two months left in the hurricane season and they should not let down their guard.