GENERAL SITUATION: Hurricane Jose continues to move northward, away from the Bahamas as a trailing trough lingers near the Central and SE Bahamas through Tuesday. Meanwhile a weak pressure pattern continues over the Bahamas until Hurricane Maria possibly threatens the SE Bahamas Thursday through Friday. Hurricane or tropical storm conditions are possible across parts of the Bahamas through the weekend.
Monday 18th – Mostly sunny, hot and humid with few scattered showers or isolated thunderstorms during the day. Mostly fair and warm at night with few lingering showers likely. Maximum temperature 91°F and minimum temperature 80°F. Small craft advisory continues for moderate to large N’ly to NE’ly ocean swells across the Bahamas. Winds variable at 10 knots or less over the ocean. Seas 3 feet or less over all areas but up to 7 to 10 feet in N’ly to NE’ly swells.
Tuesday 19th – Partly to mostly sunny, hot and humid with few scattered showers or isolated thunderstorms during the day. Partly cloudy to fair skies with few isolated showers at night. Maximum temperature 90ºF and minimum temperature 81ºF. Small craft advisory continues for moderate to large N’ly to NE’ly ocean swells. Winds variable at 10 knots or less over the open ocean for all areas. Seas 3 feet or less over the entire Bahamas but up to 7 feet in N’ly to NE’ly swells.
Wednesday 20th – Mostly sunny, hot and humid with the chance of showers or a possible afternoon thunderstorm across the NW and Central Bahamas. Fair and warm at night with few isolated showers possible. Partly cloudy to cloudy with few scattered showers or isolated thunderstorms across the SE Bahamas through night time. Maximum temperature 90ºF and minimum temperature 79ºF. Small craft exercise caution in light to moderate ocean swells. Winds light and variable across the NW and Central Bahamas and E’ly at 10 to 15 knots in the SE Bahamas. Seas 1 to 3 feet in the NW and Central Bahamas and 2 to 4 feet in the SE Bahamas but up to 6 feet in NE’ly to E’ly swells. Thursday 21st – A mix of sun and clouds with few scattered showers or isolated thunderstorms during the day. Increasing clouds with scattered shower and thunderstorms mainly across the SE Bahamas as a storm approaches at night. Maximum temperature 90ºF and minimum temperature 79ºF. Small craft should exercise caution in moderate to large swells ocean swells. Winds to NE to E at 05 to 10 knots in the NW Bahamas; NE to E at 10 to 15 knots in the Central Bahamas and NE’ly at 15 to 20 knots in the SE Bahamas, increasing to 15 to 25 knots later. Seas 1 to 3 feet in the NW Bahamas; 2 to 4 feet in the Central Bahamas and 4 to 6 feet in the SE Bahamas building to 5 to 8 feet later.
Friday 22nd – Hurricane conditions possible across the SE Bahamas. Partly to mostly sunny, hot and humid with few showers or an isolated thunderstorm across the NW and Central Bahamas. Few clouds and the chance of a shower at night. Maximum temperature 92°F and minimum temperature 77F. Small craft should remain in port as Hurricane Marie affects the area. Winds NE’ly at 10 to 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots in the NW Bahama; NE’ly at 15 to 25 knots in the Central Bahamas and NNW to NNE at 15 to 25 knots, gusting to 35 knots in the SE Bahamas. Seas 2 to 4 feet but up to 4 to 6 feet across the NW Bahamas and 5 to 8 feet in the Central and SE Bahamas but up to 12 feet in gusts.
Saturday 23rd – Mostly cloudy to overcast as tropical storm to hurricane conditions affect parts of the Bahamas. Scattered showers, intermittent rainfall and embedded thunderstorms in vicinity of the storm across the Bahamas through nightfall. Maximum temperature 91°F and minimum temperature 78°F. Small craft should remain in port until Hurricane Maria leaves the area. Winds N to NE at 15 to 25 knots across the NW Bahamas; N to NW at 15 to 25 knots, gusting to 35 knots in the Central Bahamas and WNW to WSW At 15 to25 knots gusting to 35 knots in the SE Bahamas. Seas 5 to 8 feet in the Bahamas, but up to 15 feet in gusts across the Central and SE Bahamas.
Sunday 24th – Mostly cloudy to overcast with scattered showers, isolated thunderstorms and occasional rainfall. Tropical storm/hurricane conditions gradually exits the area. Maximum temperature 91ºF and minimum temperature 78ºF. Small craft advisory is in effect for all areas and small craft boaters should not venture far from port Bahamas. Winds NNW to NNE at 15 to 25 knots gusting to 35 knots in the NW Bahamas; NW to W at 15 to 25 knots gusting in the Central Bahamas and SW to W at 15 to 25 knots in the SE Bahamas. Seas 5 to 78 feet across the entire Bahamas but up to 12 feet in gusts across the in the NW Bahamas and variable at 10 knots or less in the Central and SE Bahamas. Seas 5 to 8 feet across the Bahamas up to 15 feet in gusts across the NW and Central Bahamas..
Beachgoers and Mariners should exercise extreme caution due to the high risk of rip currents and dangerous ocean swells along the northern and eastern shorelines during stated advisories. Boaters and beachgoers should be alert for possible waterspout activity and take all necessary precautions to protect life and property.
Geoffrey N. Greene
