[UPDATED] Met Office issues adverse-weather yellow alert

THE Met Office on Friday put Trinidad and Tobago under an adverse-weather yellow alert starting from 4 am until 6 pm this evening.

The Met Office said there is a high, 70 per cent chance of “intermittent rainfall of varying intensities and isolated thunderstorms" associated with tropical wave no 7 from early on Saturday morning, with the most intense activity expected to affect eastern offshore areas.

The release said heavy rainfall can lead to street and flash flooding with accompanying brief, gusty winds. As a result, the Met Office said localised ponding, landslides and landslips are likely to occur in at-risk areas.

Beachgoers should also be careful, as rough seas can occur with heavy showers or thunderstorms.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government said flash flooding was reported in several areas of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, including Caparo/Mamoral, in the viciniy of the Caparo RC Primary School, the Breeding Unit, Mamoral # 1, Sharpe Road, Longdenfvill/Talparo, Todd's Station Road, and Fletchers Road Todds Road.

The ministry said as at 3:30 pm, the Aripo River was at 17 per cent capacity, the Arouca River was at 35 per cent capacity, the Caparo River was at 84 per cent capacity, the Caroni River at Bamboo Settlement #3 was at 43 per cent capacity, the El Carmen (Caroni River) was at 40 per cent capacity, the North Oropouche River (Toco Road) was at 27 per cent capacity, and the South Oropouche River was at 16 per cent capacity.

The Met Office warned against venturing into floodwaters.

People are also advised to be alert to river levels and to continue to montor weather conditions and official weather updates.

For more information, visit www.metoffice.gov.tt; www.odpm.gov.tt