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An area of low pressure could form in the northwest Caribbean this weekend.

If the low develops, there is some chance that it could eventually become a tropical depression or tropical storm.

The western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico are typical formation areas during June.

The western Caribbean could be an area to watch for the potential development of a tropical depression or tropical storm by this weekend.

Current satellite imagery shows no vigorous shower and thunderstorm activity in the western Caribbean, but that may change in the days ahead.

(MORE: Hurricane Central)

The output from various computer forecast models has beenindicating an overall increase in stormy weather in the western Caribbean later this week into the weekend. Those models have also depicted that an area of low pressure may eventually form near or on either side of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula (southwest Gulf or northwest Caribbean).

A well-defined low-pressure system is needed for a tropical depression or tropical storm to organize.

The potential development may be tied to a tropical wave that is expected to move near Central America this week before turning north towardthe northwest Caribbean, according to theNational Weather Service in Houston. Tropical waves can sometimes help spark the formation of a tropical depression or tropicalstorm.

Interaction withland areas of Central America and the Yucatan, however, could hinder the possible development of this system. Tropical systems need to be located over warm waters to grow.

If an area oflow pressure does form, most of the forecast guidance suggests it would track in the direction of the southwest Gulf of Mexico early next week.

That said, there is no cause for concern if you come across images on social media of computer model forecasts indicating a potential tropical storm next week in the Gulf of Mexico.

The situation bears watching, but it's far from certain whether any tropical system will actually develop. At the very least, we may see a surge of tropical moisture work its way northward towardthe Gulf Coast.

Check back with weather.com during the week ahead for updates on this potential system.

The western Caribbean andGulf of Mexicoare two of the areas we typically look for the development of tropical storms in June.

Any storms that do form typically track north or northeastward, which brings the Gulf Coast and the Southeast coast in play for potential impacts.

On average, there's one June named storm in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico every one to twoyears.

June 2016 was an outlier with Bonnie, Colin and Danielle all spinning through the Atlantic basin as tropical storms.

(MORE: What to Expect During June)

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Atlantic Basin Retired Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

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Western Caribbean Bears Watching for Tropical Development This Weekend - The Weather Channel

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its last Zika travel advisory for Miami-Dade County last week, residents and visitors to Miami's popular South Beach neighborhood were relieved. Still, doctors say, pregnant women should continue to take extra precautions. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its last Zika travel advisory for Miami-Dade County last week, residents and visitors to Miami's popular South Beach neighborhood were relieved. Still, doctors say, pregnant women should continue to take extra precautions.

There's no doubt about it: Zika is on the retreat in the Americas.

In Brazil, cases are down by 95 percent from last year. Across the Caribbean, outbreaks have subsided. And in Florida, the virus seems to have gone into hiding. Health officials haven't investigated a new Zika case for more than 45 days in Miami-Dade County.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the last travel warning for southern Florida. The agency is no longer recommending that pregnant women avoid the region.

"That's really exciting news," says Dr. Christine Curry, an OB-GYN at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital. "Everybody has sort of exhaled."

But the threat to pregnant women, whether residents or travelers, isn't over not in the least Curry says, neither in Florida nor abroad.

So what should pregnant women and their families, or women who are trying to get pregnant, do? Let's start with Florida. Then we'll swing back to the international question at the end.

Living or traveling in South Florida

"We can't go back to the days before Zika, where you just walked around without thinking about bug spray or the clothes you're wearing," Curry says. "People still need to practice good mosquito-bite prevention when they're living in South Florida or traveling there."

The CDC outlines the precautions needed in Miami-Dade County and other areas of the U.S. where Zika has circulated, such as Brownsville, Texas.

These precautions are most important for pregnant women, those trying to get pregnant and their mates. For example:

Such precautions are important, Curry says, for several reasons.

First, even when it looks like Zika has "disappeared," Curry says, it could still be circulating. About 80 percent people who are infected with the virus don't have any symptoms at all.

And if the virus is merely lurking below detectable levels, Zika cases could start cropping up again at any moment. Last summer, Zika likely circulated in Florida for months before it was detected by health officials, a recent study found.

So if you live in South Florida, or are headed there this summer, pack the DEET, cover clothes in permethrin and be on the lookout for skeeters.

Traveling overseas

Although Zika cases have dropped across the Caribbean and Latin America, the CDC's travel recommendations haven't changed. Pregnant women should not travel to places where Zika is circulating. If a spouse travels to one of these areas, the couple should use condoms for at least six months.

Couples trying to get pregnant should also not travel to these regions. If they must, the CDC recommends waiting at least six months before trying to conceive after a man returns from a country with Zika and waiting at least eight weeks after a woman returns.

Fetal medicine expert Dr. Neil Silverman worries that some doctors are forgetting to give their patients these travel warnings.

"We've gotten calls at our practice from women who have traveled to areas where's there's clearly active transmission of Zika," says Silverman, an OB-GYN at the Center for Fetal Medicine in Los Angeles.

"Either their doctors have essentially decided the risk is over or the woman forgot to ask. Then they come back home and realize that there was a risk."

Even if a country has reported only a few cases or hasn't had a case in months Silverman says the recommendations are the same.

Take for instance, India, which reported its first official cases in May. There were only three cases recorded, across the entire country. But the virus has likely been circulating in India for decades, studies show. And pregnant women should avoid travel there, Silverman says.

"For the purpose of a traveler, there's not a huge distinction between whether a country has a large number of new cases occurring or whether there's sort of a background, long-standing risk," he says.

Places with this sort of background risk include large parts of Southeast Asia and Africa.

So if you're pregnant or "trying," check out the CDC's Zika map before booking a plane ticket, and avoid all the areas that are purple on the map.

"With everything else going on in the country and in the world, Zika has taken a little bit of a backseat in the news cycle," Silverman says. "But it's still a big concern."

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Is Zika Still A Problem In Florida And The Caribbean? - NPR

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Things not to worry about on a Royal Caribbean cruise Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) Many first time cruisers have concerns about what a Royal Caribbean cruise is all about, and what it entails. There is certainly a fair amount of pre-trip planning that can be beneficial to improving a trip, but there are also a few aspects of cruise ... Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas Timelapse VideoCruise Fever World's Largest Cruise Ship Gets First Taste of WaterThe Daily Meal An End-of-Day Technical Review: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL), CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (CBL)Post Analyst Sports Perspectives -Markets Daily -BBNS all 13 news articles »

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Things not to worry about on a Royal Caribbean cruise - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

The tropical Atlantic Basin is expected to remain quiet this week, but conditions for development may arise in the vicinity of southeastern Mexico next week.

Several disorganized clusters of showers and thunderstorms known as tropical waves will continue to move westward over the open tropical Atlantic this week. However, negative factors will keep these waves weak and disorganized in the short term.

The most significant negative factor is wind shear. Wind shear is the change of the direction and speed air currents at different levels of the atmosphere. Strong wind shear can prevent the development of tropical systems.

"Wind shear is likely to remain significant in the potential development area from the western Caribbean to the Gulf of Mexico this week," according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

However, weakening wind shear may open the door for possible development in the area by early next week.

The lowering wind shear may produce a suitable environment for development somewhere from the northwestern Caribbean to the southwestern Gulf of Mexico during June 18-24.

"Water temperatures are marginally warm at best over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico but are sufficiently warm in the northwestern Caribbean," Kottlowski said.

"As a result, there's a chance a system gets going in the northwestern Caribbean first then wanders into the Gulf of Mexico."

Tropical systems rely on warm ocean water as fuel. If the water is not warm enough or the depth of warm water is not deep enough, then storms can struggle to develop or maintain intensity.

While formation of a tropical system is one thing, projecting where the system will track is another.

The latest indications are that a path in the northern Gulf of Mexico may be blocked next week.

"If this new blocking idea holds up, any tropical system that forms may be more likely to track westward toward Mexico rather than northward toward the United States," Kottlowski said.

Given all of these factors, there is a low chance but not a high chance for the formation of a tropical depression in the general area of the Yucatan Peninsula by early next week.

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Early in the hurricane season, the typical breeding grounds for tropical systems are in the Gulf of Mexico and far western Caribbean.

While it is still too early to tell exactly where and if a tropical depression will form, folks along the Gulf Coast and others with interests in the area will want to monitor the situation over the next week.

If a tropical system were to develop, it would be the second of the 2017 Atlantic season.

The second name on the list of tropical storms for this year is Bret. Arlene, the first storm on the list, formed back in April in the open Atlantic well west of the Azores.

Regardless if an organized system does develop or not, an uptick in tropical downpours will be possible along the Gulf Coast next week.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially started June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, with the peak of the season occurring in late August through September.

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Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea could yield second tropical system in the Atlantic Basin of 2017 - AccuWeather.com

West Phillys Urban Art Gallery recently hosted the second installment of Caribbean Creatives Art Show & Mixer. Featuring the work of Caribbean visual artists, the Young Caribbean Professional Network supported event was curated by Delaware County resident and Spanish Town, Jamaica native, Erice Reid, along with Kalphonse Morris, owner of the gallery.

Were excited to partner with Urban Art Gallery and all of the artists participating this year, Reid said. She was inspired to launch the exhibit last year after discovering that there were so many artists in the Philadelphia region who were of Caribbean descent.

I thought it important to highlight their work and contributions to the local (art) scene. Were sharing our experiences and culture through art, said Reid, the owner of Yard Girl Jewelry.

A visual artist herself, for the past 10 years Reid has worked as an English and special education teacher in the William Penn School District, serving students at Penn Wood High School. One of two Young Caribbean Professional Network vice-presidents, Reid has been actively engaged in the areas Caribbean American affairs, often using her artistic skills and organizational involvement to forge fruitful relationships.

Challenged by her late father, Reid exhibited her paintings last month at Urban Art Gallery, inviting people into her therapeutic safe space.

I believe that art is a powerful tool that can create change, healing, understanding, and unity, said artist and educator, Amber Nicole Williams. The arts are in our DNA, and it is what helps unite us.

A collective of Caribbean visual artists, including Williams, Ariel Williams, Jae Martin, Eric Rivera, and Kayode Malomo, showcased their work in the venue that welcomes emerging artists.

Young Caribbean Professional Network is proud to support young Caribbean and African artists throughout the region in presenting contemporary art, thereby adding culture and diversity to the marketplace, said YCPN founder and BFW Group CEO, Blane Stoddart.

We are not one dimensional people. I believe that the world should experience the vast array of beautiful cultures represented throughout the African Diaspora, Williams said. We all are connected but have a different story to tell.

It is important to bring awareness to the Caribbean artist and to the Caribbean culture, said Morris.

Philadelphia has a large Caribbean (immigrant) community, so this is our way of recognizing the contributions of local Caribbean artists while giving guests a visual, culinary and musical experience, he said.

In addition to showcasing visual artists, there was live painting by Jay Coreano and desserts from Johnnys Cheesecakes a bakery that specializes in fusing Jamaican flavors into their delicious cheesecakes, said Reid.

With a chance to be seen, heard and recognized at the Caribbean Creatives Art Show, Williams, like Reid, was eager to share a bit of ourselves and our cultures with the world, Reid said.

I believe that art is an integral part of African and Caribbean culture, Williams said. The arts are deeply embedded in the roots of African and Caribbean culture. I think it is important for us to celebrate our culture and share it with the rest of the world.

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Philadelphia's Urban Art Gallery highlights Caribbean American artists, celebrates Caribbean American Heritage Month - HuffPost

MARGATE Jewish Treasures of The Caribbean will be featured June 30 to July 28 at the Milton and Betty Katz JCC, 501 N. Jerome Ave.

The exhibition features photographs of the oldest Jewish synagogues and cemeteries in the Western Hemisphere, surprisingly located in the Caribbean, as seen through the lens of award-winning photographer Wyatt Gallery.

The traveling exhibition features more than three dozen framed photographs from the recently published book of the same title, which captures the little-known history of the Jews of Barbados, Curacao, Jamaica, Nevis, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. Thomas and Suriname, according to Gallery.

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Photographer Christine Peck and stained glass artist Christopher Michalek will be the featur

These Jewish communities date back to the mid-1600s and are home to the first synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the Western Hemisphere, he said.

Only five historic synagogues remain in use today, according to the exhibit website.

"The goal of the exhibit is to raise awareness of the need for preservation of these little-known historic sites of the legacy of Judaism, said Philadelphia-born Gallery, who is based in New York and whose tagline is A person, not a place.

Northfield, Linwood and Somers Point offer a number of things to do culturally and artistically.

While photographing the devastationafter the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, I realized that a similar fate could happen to any of these historic synagogues at any time."

A special reception and book talk with Gallery will be held 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 11.

The monthlong exhibit is open during the JCCs normal hours

CAPE MAY Hurricanes, nor'easters and blizzards have all left Cape May with a flood of memo

For more information, call Katz JCC Special Events Coordinator Melissa Vola at 609-822-1167, ext. 159.

Contact: 609-601-5196

nanette.galloway@shorenewstoday.com

Twitter @DBCurrent

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'Jewish Treasures of the Caribbean' to be featured at Margate's Katz JCC - Shore News Today

PHOTO: Blue Bay Hotels spa spotlight. (photo courtesy of Blue Bay Hotels)

Imagine waking up, in one of the spectacular suites of a luxurious resort in the Riviera Maya, feeling great and ready to disconnect from your routine. Imagine you go out for a short stroll through the lush, leafy gardens until you reach the beach and feel the sea waves awakening your senses.

You have a light breakfast; maybe a coffee with some toast, or a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice with a sweet fruits platter as you start to prepare for what comes next. An experience to reconnect with your body and mind.

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A golf cart takes you to the spa where your hostess will then lead you to the hydrotherapy circuit that will help you to open your body and mind to the sensations produced by the different forces and temperatures of the water. You will then be taken to the therapy suite, which will become your restorative sanctuary for a few hours. Here, you can enjoy the well-being experience in the hands of therapists who specialize in a range of treatments inspired by both the medicine of pre-Hispanic Mexico and the age-old techniques of cultures from all around the world.

At BlueBay Grand Esmeralda***** and Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel*****GL, you will be immersed in one of the most pleasurable and fascinating experiences in the Riviera Maya, and youll understand why the Mexican Caribbean is recognized as a leading center for the culture of well-being.

With more than 2500m2 of space, the modern spa facilities at the BlueBay Grand Esmeralda***** offer you an incredible program on the hydrotherapy circuit, and you can also make the most of the fully equipped gym. This spa has a beauty salon, solarium, temazcal, steam bath, sauna and jacuzzi, basically everything you need to be completely immersed in your routine.

READ MORE The BeachFun4Life Experience: Sports, Beach and Fun

At the Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel*****GL youll find a unique and select area spread over more than 2200m2 with an outdoor relaxation pool, temazcal, unisex beauty salon, a gym with cardiovascular and kinesis equipment, along with a range of activities like Yoga, Pilates and Janzu. All of this is surrounded by a uniquely special atmosphere that elegantly blends traditional Mayan philosophy with ancient Asian healing rituals.

BlueBay Grand Esmeralda***** and Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel*****GL have prepared a careful selection of exceptional treatments and rituals combining massages, essences, oils, aromas and textures to harmonize your body from head to toe. These spas also offer facials and skin renewal treatments, wraps using natural elements with therapeutic and nutritional effects of chocolate, coffee, white pearl essence, seaweed, silk or beeswax, and also extracts from healing plants like lavender and rosemary.

These spas also cover specific needs such as pre and post tanning treatments, anti-jetlag, tired feet, sports and deep tissue, Thai, prenatal, shiatsu, and four-hand massages, reflexology, etc. And in both hotels, you will find a menu with healthy food and refreshing drinks if your body demands some light refreshments.

You'll discover the spas at BlueBay Grand Esmeralda***** and Blue Diamond Luxury Boutique Hotel*****GL are the perfect temples of wellness to indulge in pleasure, to come into contact with your sensations, to pamper yourself and be led by the hand of our specialists in caring for your well-being. Youll know that your body was asking for it and that you deserve it.

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Behind the Caribbean's Best Spas: BlueBay Hotels in the Spotlight - TravelPulse (blog)

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

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Royal Caribbean Post Round-Up: June 11, 2017 - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

June 11th, 2017 0 comments

Dominica is looking to the Caribbean to boost its tourist numbers with a new campaign launched in time for summer 2017.

The Meet Me In Dominica, Summer 2017 campaign targetsCaribbean people for a summer of adventure, nature and events for singles, couples and families.

The campaign was launched by Discover Dominica Authority; the agency responsible for marketing the Nature Island of the Caribbean. It will run from June 1-August 31, 2017.

Dominicas Tourism Director, Colin Piper said With 2017 labeled as the Year of Adventure, Dominica has positioned itself to embrace visitors from the region and beyond for an unforgettable experience in Dominica.

Piper added that hotels and tour operators have come on board to offer exciting specials and activities as part of the campaign, all in an effort to ensure that every day of your vacation is a day spent outside enjoying the Nature Island.

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Dominica seeks to attract more Caribbean tourists - St. Lucia Times Online News (press release)

The region will submit a proposal to the Committee on World Food Security at the end of June.

June 09, 2017, Santiago, Chile - Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean today announced their interest in promoting an international code of conduct to serve as a global guideline to prevent and reduce food losses and waste.

FAO has supported countries in the region to create a technical support note for the code, which will be submitted to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in June.

The note that will be presented to the CFS contains a methodological framework to identify critical points, practices and key actors associated with losses and wastes.

This proposal was debated by parliamentarians, government officials, representatives of the private sector, civil society and the academy of sixteen countries of the region during the III Regional Dialogue on Food Loss and Waste.

"That a great part of the food produced in the world ends up in the garbage, when more than 795 million people are still suffering hunger all over the planet, it is a real crime," said Julio Berdegu, FAO's Regional Representantive, during the dialogue.

If accepted by the international community, the proposal will serve as a basis for constructing a non-binding legal instrument - such as that for pesticide use - that will enable countries to meet target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims at at 50% cut in per capita food losses and waste by the year 2030.

The Code of Conduct will enable the overall response to be coordinated through a shared vision and strategies involving all actors in the food system.

By identifying the critical points at each stage of the food life cycle, countries will be able to prevent and reduce losses throughout the food chain. By linking local, regional and global strategies, it will serve as a reference to create laws and foster cooperation between the parties involved.

The region strengthens its laws and institutions

Since 2015, several countries in the region have incorporated this theme into their legislative agendas and their institutions.

During the regional dialogue, Chile announced the creation of an intersectoral committee on this subject, adding Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Dominican Republic and Uruguay. Ecuador, Honduras and Paraguay have already started similar processes.

Currently, there are about 19 bills related to the losses and waste that being debated in the parliaments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.

During the regional dialogue, ten members of the Parliamentary Front against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean participated in a special training session and defined a joint road map to drive these initiatives.

"Legislation is needed to minimize food loss from a multidimensional and preventive approach, not only linked to punishment," said Mexican Senator Luisa Mara Caldern, General Coordinator of the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger.

According to the FAO, one of the outstanding challenges is to advance not only in the reduction but also in the prevention of losses and wastage at all stages of the food supply chain.

A problem with multiple repercussions

Food losses and waste have important environmental, economic and social implications, and have great negative impacts the sustainability of food systems.

While in developing countries 40% of the losses occur in the post-harvest and processing stages, in industrialized countries more than 40% of losses occur in retail and at the consumer level.

According to FAO, about 1.4 billion hectares of land are used each year to produce food that is not consumed, a larger area than that of Canada and India as a whole.

Media Contacts

Benjamn Labatut Santiago, Chile tel: (+56) 229 232 174 e-mail: benjamin.labatut@fao.org

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Latin America and the Caribbean promotes an international code of conduct to prevent and reduce food losses and waste - Reliefweb