The red level of vigilance is maintained over the country because of the risk of heavy rain. Hurricane Tomas moves this morning on the Atlantic Ocean near the Turks Caicos Islands. The center Tomas was located at 8:00 this morning at 22.5 degrees north latitude and 70.9 degrees west longitude or about 110km north of Grand Turk, 360 km north northeast of Cap-Haitien. Tomas is still moving toward the northeast at 24 km/h and leaves behind a lot of humidity and instability which may generate heavy rainfall, especially in the departments of the North, Northwest, Northeast and mountainous regions of Central and Artibonite.

Taking account of the gradual improvement of the weather, the red alert issued throughout the country could be lifted in the coming hours.

The National Meteorological Center (CNM) in conjunction with the SEMANAH maintains the forbidding of cabotage operations in the Gulf of Gonave, the Windward Passage and the North Coast of Haiti until further notice.

The National Meteorological Center (CNM) in conjunction with the Permanent Secretariat of Risk Management and Disaster (SPGRD) and the Direction of Civil Protection (DPC) is asking the population living in risk areas, to remain vigilant and strictly implement safety precautions.

Note that UN organizations such OCHA await the lifting of the red alert to start the assessments.

HL/ HaitiLibre