LILI GETTING STRONGER WHILE MEANDERING NEAR THE
NORTHWESTERN COAST OF JAMAICA

(See NOAA's National Hurricane Center for the latest information on this storm. Complete advisories are posted at 11 a.m., 5 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. All times are Eastern. Advisories are posted more frequently as the storm nears the USA mainland.)

September 29, 2002 — At 2 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Lili was located near latitude 18.7 north, longitude 77.6 west or about 25 miles east-northeast of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Lili has been nearly stationary, but a gradual turn toward the west-northwest is expected later Sunday night or Monday. There may be some erratic motion until Lili moves away from Jamaica later Sunday night, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm Lili taken at 1:45 p.m. EDT on Sept. 29, 2002. Click here to see latest view. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Maximum sustained winds are near 55 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles mainly northeast through southeast of the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 994 mb, 29.35 inches.

Heavy rains will continue across Jamaica and gradually spread over portions of eastern Cuba later Sunday. These rains could cause life-threatening flash flooding and mud slides. Severe flooding and mud slides were reported across Jamaica.

A tropical storm warning is now extended to include all of the Cayman Islands. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Jamaica. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Holguin. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the Cuban provinces of Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila.

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