Thursday, 4:30 PM
Wild, wet weather expected on Saturday
(NOAA photo)
A satellite picture of Tropical Storm Noel, swirling in the Caribbean.
By Globe Staff
Brace yourself for some wild weather on Saturday. The remnants of Tropical Storm Noel, which battered islands in the Caribbean, might sideswipe the region with high winds and torrential rain.
The National Weather Service this afternoon issued a high wind watch for Saturday in Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts, saying that Noel would turn into a strong coastal storm as it passes southeast of Nantucket.
The weather service said damaging winds were possible, especially Saturday afternoon, with sustained winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour and gusts up to 70 miles per hour on the Cape and the islands.
Farther inland, winds could be weaker, but there could still be damage to trees and power lines, the weather service said.
Bill Simpson, a meteorologist in the weather service's Taunton office, said the storm could bring wind-driven rain, torrential downpours, and potential coastal flooding.
He said earlier predictions had placed the storm a couple of hundred miles east of Cape Cod, but now forecasters believe it will track more to the west.
"It's going to be offshore, but it could still be significant enough for a major northeaster," he said.
The weather service noted in its advisory this afternoon, "Keep in mind there is uncertainty as to the track of this storm." It said the the severity of the winds would depend on how close to land the storm travels.
Noel, the 14th named storm of the season, dumped rain on the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba. The storm is blamed for at least 91 deaths.
