Updated 5/16/24 at 7:55 p.m. AST
VI SOURCE WEATHER UPDATES
! The heat index, which the NWS defines as “the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature,” may be high on Friday. Stay hydrated and stay cool.
! The NWS has noted that an unsettled weather pattern may occur next week. More information is available here.
! A Daily Weather Update video for Friday, May 17, and the weekend ahead is available here!
! Read more about Hurricane Preparedness here!
Article: Colorado State University Predicts Extremely Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Article: La Niña Weather Pattern May Spawn an Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Series: “Extreme Weather in the Caribbean”
- Part 1: Caribbean Earthquakes and Tsunamis
- Part 2: Caribbean Volcanoes
- Part 3: Rip Currents
- Part 4: Hurricanes
- Part 5: Wildfires
- Part 6: Flash Floods
- An article about earthquakes in the Caribbean is available here!
- An informational video about drought conditions in the USVI is available here!
FRIDAY’S WEATHER FORECAST: 5/17/24
Happy Friday!
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, high pressure will be over the region on Friday, and the USVI will see a mostly sunny sky, with a chance of scattered showers. The high temperature will be approximately 89°F, 31.6°C, with winds out of the east-southeast at about 11 to 13 mph. The heat index may be high in some locations. The chance of rain on Friday is approximately 30%. Please remember that the ground is very saturated; additional rain could lead to flash flooding.
Friday night will be partly cloudy, with a slight chance of isolated showers. The low temperature will be approximately 80°F, 26.6°C, with winds out of the east at about 15 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. The possibility of rain on Friday night is approximately 20%.
Below: Infrared satellite imagery obtained at 6:30 p.m. AST on Thursday indicates a mostly clear-to-partly cloudy sky around the USVI and Puerto Rico. Showers are possible.
MARINE WEATHER UPDATE
On Friday, the seas will be approximately 2 to 3 feet, with occasional seas up to 4 feet. Winds will be out of the east-southeast at about 10 knots.
On Friday night, the seas will be approximately 2 to 3 feet, with occasional seas up to 4 feet. Winds will be out of the east at about 10 to 15 knots, gusting up to 20 knots.
The water temperature is approximately 85-86°F, approximately 29-30°C.
Ocean Water Temperature Map from 5/16/24, courtesy of NOAA:
Wave Height Forecast Map courtesy of NWS:
HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS
Rip Currents: The risk of rip currents is projected to be low across most of the region on Friday.
Clear = Low Rip Current Risk
Yellow = Moderate Rip Current Risk
Red = High Rip Current Risk
Learn more about rip current safety in an interview between the NWS and the VI Source here.
TROPIC WATCH
Tropical Activity: The National Hurricane Center does not expect any cyclonic development over the next seven days.
A possible La Niña Weather Pattern May Spawn an Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Read more here. Additionally, Colorado State University Predicts Extremely Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Click here to learn tips on being prepared for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Days Until 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season: 15 Days
OBSERVATIONS
Sunrise: 5:47 a.m.
Sunset: 6:47 p.m.
Ocean water temperature: Approximately 85-86°F, approximately 29-30°C.
UV index: 10+ out of 10 (VERY HIGH)
Thursday’s high temperature: 87°F, 30.5°C
Thursday’s low temperature: 81°F, 27.2°C
Preparation for extreme weather events in the Caribbean, such as earthquakes and tropical cyclones, is important. Residents and visitors in the USVI are encouraged to stay updated on weather events on the V.I. Source Weather page and sign up for alerts from the National Weather Service and the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.