ALERT NUMBER TWENTY SEVEN (27) ON HURRICANE MARIA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 6PM EDT.  

 …MARIA IS NOW PASSING TO THE EAST OF THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS…  

 TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR, MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.    

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING OR CAN AFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS WITHIN 36 HOURS.   

AT 5PM EDT, THE EYE OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.3 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 71.4 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 128 MILES NORTH OF GRAND TURK, THE TURKS, CAICOS ISLANDS, 115 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF ABRAHAM’S BAY MAYAGUANA AND 395 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.   

MARIA IS CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH, THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED BY SATURDAY NIGHT.   

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 125 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  MARIA REMAINS A CATEGORY THREE (3) HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. A GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.  

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES.   

HURRICANE MARIA POTENTIALLY CAN PRODUCE SEVERAL TORNADOES AS IT MOVES ALONG ITS TRACK.   

TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND MAYAGUANA THROUGH TONIGHT. RESIDENTS IN CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, LONG CAY, AND SAMANA CAY CAN EXPECT OCCASIONAL HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.  

 WATER LEVELS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE THROUGH TONIGHT AS MARIA MOVES AWAY FROM THE ISLANDS.  

LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES WILL CONTINUES TO AFFECT THE NORTH AND EASTERN COAST OF THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.  

EXTENSIVE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS MARIA IS FORECAST TO PRODUCE 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 20 INCHES.   

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN SAFE HARBOUR.   

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE MARIA WILL BE ISSUED AT 9PM EDT FRIDAY.  

 ISSUED BY:   JEFFREY SIMMONS/MARY BUTLER