ALERT NUMBER TEN (#10) ON HURRICANE MARIA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY WEDNESDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 3PM EDT.
…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA IS NOW OFFSHORE OF THE NORTHWESTERN COAST OF PUERTO RICO… HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING OR CAN AFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
A HURRICANE ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.
A HURRICANE ALERT MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS CAN AFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS WITHIN 60 HOURS.
AT 2PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.5 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 66.9 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO, 344 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS, 450 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA AND 809 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
MARIA CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF MARIA WILL MOVE NEAR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 115 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MARIA IS A CATEGORY THREE (3) HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS IN MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD COMPLETE ALL NECESSARY PREPARATIONS AS THEY COULD EXPERIENCE STRONG TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BY THURSDAY NIGHT.
LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES COULD IMPACT THE NORTH AND EASTERN COAST OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLANDS INCLUSIVE OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
EXTENSIVE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WITH MODERATE FLOODING POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AS MARIA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN SAFE HARBOUR.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE MARIA WILL BE ISSUED AT 6PM EDT WEDNESDAY.
ISSUED BY: BASIL DEAN/MARY BUTLER
