PM takes control to ease effects of 'weather emergency'

The Prime Minister has announced TT is under a "weather emergency" and said all arms and agencies of state are fully mobilised and on alert given the bad weather the country is experiencing.

Dr Rowley said he will give all instructions with the guidance of the ministers of Local Government and Rural Development, Works and Transport and National Security.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, he said, "The international forecasts are for further incoming heavy rainfall over the next two days. Already there is significant damage to our road infrastructure in very many parts of the country. We are anticipating increased flooding and landslides in susceptible areas. Citizens are requested to be very alert to these dangers and, as far as feasible, restrict your movements until the dangers have passed or are abated."

He said updates from the relevant agencies are under way. The PM included on his Facebook post a video of an international weather forecaster who warned of severe weather and landslides in Trinidad and Tobago and the southern Caribbean.

Earlier, the Met Office put  TT under a yellow-level weather alert at 5 am until 8 pm. It said the rain will vary in intensity, but there is a 70 per cent chance of heavy showers and thunderstorms that can produce rainfall up to 25 mm or more in isolated areas. There may also be gusty winds of more than 55 km per hour.

Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Faris Al-Rawi is due to host a media conference on the weather and its impact at 11.30 am.