South America

Weather Underground Forecast for Friday, August 29, 2008.

Hurricane Gustav is expected to turn more to the northwest on Friday as it continues to become faster and stronger. Gustav is expected to bring hurricane and tropical storm force winds, with the highest winds reaching 80 knots with gusts up to 100 knots. In additions to strong winds, numerous heavy showers are predicted for Jamaica and southeastern coast of Cuba. These rains are likely to produce life threatening flash floods and mud slides. Areas in the path of onshore winds can expect coastal storm surge flooding of 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels and large, dangerous waves. More information regarding Hurricane Gustav can be found at The Weather Underground (http://www.wunderground.com/tropical).

To the east, a low pressure system located several hundred miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands is expected to become more developed by Friday. The system is expected to progress slowly northwestward.

Further east in the Atlantic, a large tropical wave located several hundred miles west of the Cape Verde Islands will continue to produce showers and thunderstorms. This system is expected to develop slowly, if at all.

Elsewhere, showers will persist throughout Central America. Panama will see the heaviest rainfall, as its precipitation total is expected to reach up to 3 inches.

In South America, showers in the northern coastal countries will persist. Scattered showers are expected from Peru through southern Brazil. Northern Argentina will remain dry, while southern Chile and Argentina will see rain and snow.