Hurricane Center: TS Kirk likely to dissipate in Caribbean

MIAMI – The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Kirk is likely to dissipate after dropping heavy rain and causing flooding in the eastern Caribbean.

At 8 a.m. EDT Friday, the centre of Kirk was about 140 miles (225 kilometres) southwest of Lt. Lucia with maximum winds of 50 mph (80 kph). It was moving forward at 12 mph (19 kph) with tropical storm-force winds extending 115 miles (185 kilometres) to the north and east.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for St. Lucia.

Forecasters say the storm will likely lose its organization and be downgraded to a tropical depression by early Saturday. The remnants will move across the eastern and central Caribbean through the weekend.

Officials in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe closed schools, and thunderstorms hit Barbados.