News Item on Hurricane Gert issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Forecast Office Section, at 6PM Tuesday AUGUST 2017.

… GERT A LITTLE STRONGER AND MOVING FASTER TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST …

AT 5:00PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GERT WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 33.7°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 71.2° WEST OR ABOUT 385 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF BERMUDA.

HURRICANE GERT IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 12 MPH, AND IT IS EXPECTED TO ACCELERATE NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE NORTHWESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 80 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO. WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN BY THURSDAY WHEN GERT MOVES OVER COLDER WATER.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6AM.

PREPARED BY FORECASTER: ORSON NIXON