Taking the precautionary measures and keeping a check on the safety of the citizens the Government of Sint Maarten has announced that all the schools on the island will remain closed as the region is under the tropical storm warning.
This announcement was made by Prime Minister Dr Luc Mercelina while addressing the nation on Sunday evening.
PM stated in his address that this is a very tricky situation, and the Government, through the Meteorological Department Sint Maarten, is continuously monitoring the progress of the weather system closely and is also informing the people of updates.
Also, the Ministry of Education stated that this decision will provide the school authorities and staff with a chance to go to school on Monday and also secure the facilities. They are also advised to begin with the required preparation for the weather.
During the address PM stated that the authorities and Met department is highly confident that this weather system will pass by and not damage the Leeward Islands.
He further added that due to the uncertainty at the moment in regards to the potential impact, all the citizens and businesses should note that there is a possibility that the country might experience effects of the weather system. The details can unfold until Monday night, August 12.
Additionally, as shared by the US National Hurricane Center in its 8 AM update regarding the Potential Tropical Cyclone Five. Following this, the Government of Sint Maarten has upgraded its tropical storm watch to a tropical storm warning.
According to the Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten, there is a high chance that the low-pressure system could become a tropical depression or storm within the next 48 hours.
The effects would result in heavy rainfall of accumulated amounts of up to 6 inches, storms associated with the weather system that could affect the local area through Wednesday, August 14.
The Prime Minister, also advised all the political parties to take over their responsibility and remove all the political billboards and other hoardings from public roads and other areas. He also shared the same advice to the commercial businesses. This measure would ensure the safety of the public.
