ALERT #14 ON TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY MONDAY 25THAUGUST 2014 AT 9 AM EDT.

….. CRISTOBAL STRENGTHENS SLIGHTLY AS IT MOVES NORTHWARD AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS…

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA…..

 AT 8 AM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.7 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 72.8 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 115 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF SAN SALVADOR, ABOUT 164 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF CAT ISLAND AND 288 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.

TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 3 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. A NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD MOTION WITH A FURTHER INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF CRISTOBAL IS FORECAST TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS THROUGH TONIGHT.  

REPORTS FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE AND NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND CRISTOBAL COULD BECOME A HURRICANE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.

TROPICAL STROM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES …PRIMARILY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.

CRISTOBAL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS, AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS AROUND 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.

RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE.  STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THIS MORNING; THEREFORE SMALL BOATERS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.