NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EPSILON ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION AT 12PM, MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER 2020.

...DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS INTO TROPICAL STORM EPSILON...

AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM EPSILON WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.6° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 55.3° WEST,OR ABOUT 735 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA.

EPSILON IS STATIONARY AND LITTLE OVERALL MOTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. A SLOW WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO NORTHWESTWARD MOTION SHOULD BEGIN ON TUESDAY, AND THIS MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH MIDWEEK.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPHWITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 72 HOURS, AND EPSILON IS FORECAST TO BE AT OR NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH BY EARLY THURSDAY.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6 PM.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: C. WATSON-RAHMING/K. WARD-FORBES

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