By GENEA NOEL

Freeport News Reporter

genea@nasguard.com

The heavy downpour of rain experienced yesterday is expected to continue thro-ughout the week as a number of weather systems are affecting conditions in Grand Bahama.

The excessive rain yesterday morning left many roadways flooded as motorists attempted to navigate throu-gh deep puddles and pedestrians scrabbled to get dry.

In an interview with The Freeport News yesterday, Trinard Tynes, local forecaster with the Freeport Weather Department, reported that there are a few weather troughs in the area that are generating the recent shower activity.

According to Tynes, the troughs are not all to blame as there is a combination of systems occurring simultaneously.

"Sitting right across the south east portion of the United States and North Florida is a delayed cold front that has been sitting for the past couple of days. It is expected to fizzle out and be replaced by another frontal boundary by Wednesday."

Tynes said that there is also a ridge of high pressure that has been in The Bahama islands for the past week which has slowly sunk south east, but is working its way back toward the Northern Bahamas.

"Between that is a high pressure gradient which would mean that we would have strong breezes at 15 - 20 knots," he added.

Tynes said that these weather conditions are expected for the summer months but they will also be accompanied by extreme heat and spatters of rainfall.

"We have winds coming in from the south and west quadrant. We will be drawing in a lot of hot air off the Caribbean Sea where more of the hotter temperatures are," Tynes explained.

"Once we pull in those winds we will get a lot of convective activity which means that shower activities will be generated as it is activated by heat."

He furthered that as The Bahamas is in close proximity to the Gulf Stream, winds will bring in warm heat which will trigger thunder storms and heavy rainfall.

Tornado activity, he added, can also be associated with this type of weather activity. Tynes said that anytime there are storm systems there is a possibility of experiencing water spouts or tornados.

"The only factor is when and where they will be located. Sometimes they will not form over the island area and some stay on the waterfront but there is the likelihood of tornado conditions and even hail fall in some areas."

He is advising the public to stay indoors when weather conditions seem severe and only go outdoors if absolutely necessary.

"Residents should and are encouraged to pay attention to all weather advisories and act accordingly, especially during extreme weather conditions."

Tynes said that a gradual improvement in weather conditions is predicted by Thurs-day or Friday.