Dominican Republic prepares for storm

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

Tropical Storm Chantal strengthened on Tuesday (July 09) as it pulled away from the Lesser Antilles and moved into the eastern Caribbean Sea on a path toward toward Haiti and Dominican Republic, U.S. forecasters said.

Chantal's top sustained winds increased to 100km per hour (65miles per hour), the U.S National Hurricane Centre said. It was centred about 539 km (335 miles) southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and travelling west-northwest.

With the storm forecast to pass over the Dominican Republic on Wednesday (July 10), authorities are worried the storm could turn into a hurricane and therefore have issued warnings.

Officials have taken preventive measures in some vulnerable areas of the country where evacuations have been ordered.

The storm is also bound to hit Haiti and the Bahamas.