DOMINICA-Prime Minister Skerrit cuts short visit to Canada as tropical storm approaches Dominica.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is returning to Dominica on Thursday as a strengthening Tropical Storm Tammy could become a hurricane by the end of the weekend.

Skerrit, the chairman of the 15-member regional integration grouping CARICOM, had been co-chairing the first-ever summit of Canada and CARICOM leaders that began in Ottawa on Wednesday.

A government statement said Skerrit is to “cut short his stay in Canada and return to Dominica on Thursday…as Tropical Storm Tammy approaches the Lesser Antilles”.

A Tropical Storm warning is in effect for Dominica, Barbados, and the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and the Miami-based National Hurricane Center NHC) said that the storm is strengthening as it approaches the Lesser Antilles.

It said that Tammy is about 460 miles east of the Windward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (mph) and that additional watches and warnings will likely be required later Thursday.

Tammy is moving toward the west near 17 mph, and the NHC said that a turn toward the

West-northwest is forecast by tonight, followed by a turn towards the northwest Friday night or Saturday.

“ On the forecast track, the center of Tammy will move near or over the Leeward Islands Friday and Saturday,” it said, adding that additional strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Tammy could be near hurricane intensity by the end of the weekend.

Through Saturday night, Tammy is expected to produce storm total rainfall of three to six inches, with maximum amounts of 10 inches, across portions of the northern Windward into the Leeward Islands.

“ Swells generated by Tammy will begin affecting portions of the Lesser Antilles later today. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC added.

The government statement quoted the Met office here as saying that Dominica could begin to feel the storm’s impact by Friday “with an increase in showers and thunderstorm activity which could result in widespread flooding.”