AMENDMENT TO ALERT #20 ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 2ND OCTOBER, 2015 AT 12 NOON EDT.
…EXTREMELY DANGEROUS JOAQUIN NOW MOVING **NORTHWARD** AS IT BATTERS THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE ABACOS, BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND, NEW PROVIDENCE, AND ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, AND MAYAGUANA IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR BIMINI AND ANDROS ISLAND.
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 48 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ANDROS,THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 11 AM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.5 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.8 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF CLARENCE TOWN, LONG ISLAND, 35 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF SAN SALVADOR, 12 MILES SOUTH OF RUM CAY, 65 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE BIGHT, CAT ISLAND, AND 192 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT NEAR 3 MPH AND A NORTHWARD MOTION AT A FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TODAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 130 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOAQUIN IS DANGEROUS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SLOW WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON SATURDAY.
ON ITS PRESENT TRACK, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN IS MOVING OVER RUM CAY AND THEN SAN SALVADOR TONIGHT. RESIDENTS IN LONG ISLAND, SOUTH CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR WILL EXPERIENCE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS TODAY. MEANWHILE, RESIDENTS IN THE REMAINDER OF CAT ISLAND, EXUMA AND ELEUTHERA SHOULD EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TODAY AND TONIGHT. CONDITIONS IN ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLAND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 50 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
HEAVY RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THROUGH TODAY.
A VERY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
AGAIN, RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPACT OF JOAQUIN WHICH INCLUDES SEVERE FLOODING.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AS LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL BE ISSUED AT 3PM EDT.
...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS JOAQUIN MOVING NORTHWARD NEAR RUM CAY AND
SAN SALVADOR IN THE BAHAMAS...
...HURRICANE CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS
TODAY...
SUMMARY OF 2:00 PM EDT...1800 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...23.8N 74.8W
ABOUT 10 MI...15 KM N OF RUM CAY BAHAMAS
ABOUT 25 MI...40 KM SW OF SAN SALVADOR BAHAMAS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...130 MPH...215 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 0 DEGREES AT 5 MPH...8 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...942 MB...27.82 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
None.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Central Bahamas
* Northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands,
Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence
* The Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana in the southeastern
Bahamas
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* Bimini
* Andros Island
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* Remainder of the southeastern Bahamas including the Turks and
Caicos Islands
* Andros Island
* Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, and Guantanamo
DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
At 2:00 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Hurricane Joaquin was
located near latitude 23.8 North, longitude 74.8 West. Joaquin is
moving toward the north near 5 mph (8 km/h), and this general
motion should continue this afternoon. A turn toward the northeast
is expected tonight with an increase in forward speed. On the
forecast track, the core of the strongest winds of Joaquin will
continue moving over portions of the central and northwestern
Bahamas today. Joaquin will begin to move away from the Bahamas
tonight and Saturday.
Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate
that maximum sustained winds remain near 130 mph (215 km/h) with
higher gusts. Joaquin is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-
Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are
possible during the next 24 hours. Slow weakening is expected to
begin on Saturday.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 50 miles (85 km) from the
center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles
(335 km).
The latest minimum central pressure reported by the Hurricane Hunter
aircraft is 942 mb (27.82 inches). A Bahamas Meteorology Department
station on San Salvador recently reported a pressure of 969.9 mb
(28.63 inches).
