The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A SENIOR meteorologist said a “cold front” is responsible for the continuous thunderstorms New Providence has experienced over the past few days.

On Sunday, residents wakened to thunderstorms that lasted way into the night, coupled with power outages across the capital.

Monday morning caused many early morning fitness buffs to change their plans as thunderstorms persisted.

The rainy weather continued yesterday.

The Tribune spoke to Greg Thompson, chief climate officer in the Department of Meteorology, who explained a “cold front” was responsible for the wet weather.

“Believe it or not there are no systems out there,” Mr Thompson said. “There was actually a cold front that moved across South Florida. We have what’s left of that frontal boundary dragging itself slowly across New Providence. It is just to the south of us.

“We have weakening troughs, the remnants of the front. So it’s just a cluster of showers and believe it or not the showers are only mainly across New Providence. We have some stuff west of Andros over the Cay Sal Bank and some showers and isolated thunderstorms to the east of north Cat Island.

“So the frontal boundary is hanging out just to the south of New Providence and showers and thunderstorms associated with that are what we are getting. That little cluster we had all morning, I really thought it was going to wash itself out, but it looks as though those showers are weakening and then they are regenerating. So basically it’s stationary.”

At the time of the interview yesterday, Mr Thompson said the weather was set to continue into the night, but he was certain those who engage in early morning exercise would be able to do so this morning without the rain interfering.

“We should be finished with this throughout the remainder of the day,” Mr Thompson said. “I had anticipated that it would have been gone by now. The bulk of the weather now is still moving into the Central Bahamas but that one cell is sitting across New Providence.

“Exercisers should be able to go back out there on Wednesday morning. Everything should be to the south of New Providence and basically falling apart. It’s just that one cell hanging around New Providence. The remnants of the front.”

Asked about what is to be expected of the last two months of the hurricane season, Mr Thompson said for now there are two systems the Met Office is watching.

“We have some systems out there that we are going to continue to monitor,” he continued. “We have Hurricane Sam which is to the north and east of the Northern Leeward Islands. It’s going to stay to the east of us, but it’s close proximity to us will lend us some swells.

“So starting Thursday into the weekend we are going to get some rough seas, rough surfs and dangerous rip currents affecting most of The Bahamas. So that will pose a challenge for beaching and boating for the next couple of days.

“There are two systems just off the west coast of Africa. One is anticipated to move into the Atlantic. The other one, which is further east of that and closer to the African coast, we will have to watch that one because preliminary models carry a due west.”

He said the systems will be continuously watched, even though they do not in any way pose a threat at this time.