News Item on Tropical Depression Five issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Forecast Office Section, at 6PM Tuesday, September 16, 2014.

…AFTER REACHING 115 MPH EDOUARD BEGINS TO WEAKEN …

AT 5:00PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE EDOUARD WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 32.3°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 57.5° WEST OR ABOUT 425 MILES EAST OF BERMUDA.

EDOUARD IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT 15 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST WITH A LARGE INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY…FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE EAST ON THURSDAY.

Maxiumum SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 105 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

The next news item will be issued at 6AM WEDNESDAY.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: GEOFFREY GREENE