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Tropical Storm Matthew Growing As It Heads For Caribbean

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Large Tropical Storm Matthew is heading for the central Caribbean Sea.

At 11 p.m., the center of the storm was about 370 miles south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The storms has maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.

The storm is moving toward the west near 15 mph. This motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.

On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will continue to move away from the Windward Islands tonight, and be over the eastern and central Caribbean Sea through Friday.

Strengthening is expected during the next couple of days, and Matthew is forecast to become a hurricane by Thursday night or Friday.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

  • Guadeloupe and Martinique
  • Lucia
  • Dominica, St. Vincent, and the Grenadine Islands

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

  • Bonaire, Curacao, and Aruba

Matthew is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches across the Windward Islands and southern portions of the Leeward Islands through Thursday. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are expected farther to the north into the northern Leeward Islands, including the United States and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected over Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao through Friday.

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