News Item on Tropical Depression Five issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Forecast Office Section, at 6AM Monday, September 14, 2014.

… EDOUARD NOW A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE …

At 5:00AM EDT, the Center of HURRICANE EDOUARD WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.9°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 54.5° WEST OR ABOUT 720 MILES ESE OF BERMUDA.

HURRICANE EDOUARD IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT 15 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS FORECAST ON TUESDAY...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST TUESDAY NIGHT.

Maximum MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 105 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours. AND EDOUARD COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BY TONIGHT.)

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILE FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 12 NOON.

PREPARED BY FORECASTER: ORSON NIXON