News Item on Tropical Depression Five issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Forecast Office Section, at 12 noon Tuesday, September 16, 2014.

… EDOUARD WEAKENING…EXPECTED TO BECOME POST-TROPICAL LATER TODAY…

AT 11:00AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE EDOUARD WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 39.5 °NORTH AND LONGITUDE 38.3°WEST OR ABOUT 520 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF FAYAL ISLAND IN THE WESTERN AZORES.

EDOUARD IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-SOUTHEAST NEAR 3 MPH. A GENERAL EASTWARD TRACK WITH SOME INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO…FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST.

Maxiumum SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FURTHER WEAKENING IS EXPECTED…AND EDOUARD IS FORECAST TO BECOME A POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE LATER TODAY OR A REMNANT LOW BY SATURDAY.

The next news item will be issued at 6PM if necessary.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: GEOFFREY GREENE