A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the island of Inagua as Tropical Storm Emily resumed a westward motion toward the southeast Bahamas, forecasters said.

The Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible generally within 48 hours.Officials at NEMA have put members of its Emergency Function Support group on notice, to report to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).

NEMA has said it will continue to monitor the storm and keep the public informed of its development and movement.At 2 p.m. the center of Emily was located near latitude 15.6 degrees north and longitude 64.8 degrees west, or about 700 miles southeast of Great Inagua, according to the 3 p.m. update released by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology.Emily has resumed a west motion at 12 miles per hour. On the forecast track the center of Emily will be near the coast of Hispaniola on Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 miles per hour with higher gusts. Slight strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.Forecasters are advising Inagua residents to closely monitor the progress of Emily and be ready to begin preparation.Small craft operators in the Southeast Bahamas are also being advised to monitor the progress of Emily and be prepared to seek safe harbor when asked to do so.Tropical Storm Emily, which formed Monday evening, is the fifth named storm of the 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

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