This is a News Item on Hurricane Gert issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Forecast Office Section at 6:00 AM Wedndesday, 16 TH AUGUST, 2017.

… GERT STRENGTHENS A LITTLE MORE WHILE IT ACCELERATES NORTHEASTWARD ...

AT 5:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GERT WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 36.0° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 68.4° WEST OR ABOUT 330 MILES NORTHWEST OF BERMUDA.

HURRICANE GERT IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 21 MILES PER HOUR (MPH). AN EVEN FASTER EAST-NORTHEASTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAS INCREASED TO NEAR 90 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TODAY. AFTER THAT TIME, GERT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN, AND THE CYCLONE IS FORECAST TO BECOME AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW BY THURSDAY NIGHT.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON TODAY.