By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 1st July 2021) — A lightning strike on Wednesday 29th June 2021 damaged a wooden utility pole in the Lime Kiln area, splitting it in two, and caused several power outages across communities including Buckley’s, Lime Kiln, Pine Gardens, Shadwell, West Farm, Frigate Bay, Bird Rock, Calypso Bay and Boyds. St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC) confirmed: “The strike did cause a pole to split in two in the Lime Kiln area. Our teams were able to respond quickly and power was restored. There was no damage to life or property.” All outages were restored by midday. FLOW also reported modem damage for some customers, who are advised to call 611 or WhatsApp 669-3569. Customers were advised to unplug electrical and telephone lines from modems and set-top boxes during lightning storms.
Separately, the Met Office reported a passing tropical wave system influencing weather conditions on Wednesday 30th June, dropping 40.4 mm of rainfall, and a potential tropical cyclone (designated as “B”) that developed into Tropical Storm Elsa on Thursday 1st July 2021. Senior Meteorological Officer Elmo Burke advised the public to stay tuned for updates. The Antigua and Barbuda Met Services issued a Tropical Cyclone Information Statement at 3:10 p.m. Thursday, indicating Elsa was forecast to pass over the Windward Islands Friday morning but was expected to stay a safe distance — over 200 miles — from the Leeward Islands, leaving the area with little to no sustained storm-force winds. No watches or warnings were in effect for St. Kitts and Nevis. Elsa was located at 10.6°N, 52.6°W — approximately 694 nautical miles southeast of St. Kitts and Nevis — moving west-northwest at 28 mph with maximum sustained winds of approximately 45 mph.