CATEGORY:TROPICAL STORM UPDATE ---------------------------------- INSIDE GRENADA WEDNESDAY August 15,2007 Dean intensifying over the central tropical Atlantic... A Hurricane Watch may be required for portions of the Lesser Antilles later tonight or early Thursday. Interests in the Lesser Antilles should monitor the progress of Dean. For storm information specific to your area...please monitor products issued by your local weather office. At 500 PM AST...2100z...the center of Tropical Storm Dean was located near latitude 13.1 north...longitude 47.9 west or about 910 miles...1465 km...east of the Lesser Antilles. Dean is moving toward the west-northwest near 22 mph...35 km/hr...and a motion between west and west-northwest is expected during the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph...100 km/hr...with higher gusts. Further strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and Dean could become a hurricane later tonight or early Thursday. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles...110 km from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 994 mb...29.35 inches. (Forecaster Blake) Information obtained from the National Hurricane Center