ALERT NUMBER THIRTY (30) ON HURRICANE MARIA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY SATURDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 3AM EDT.
…EYE OF MARIA STARTING TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS…
TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS 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 2AM EDT, THE EYE OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.4 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 71.9 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 170 MILES NORTH OF GRAND TURK, THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, 150 MILES NORTHEAST OF ABRAHAM’S BAY, MAYAGUANA, 165 MILES EAST OF COCKBURN TOWN, SAN SALVADOR, AND 350 MILES EAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
MARIA CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH, BUT A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH SHOULD BEGIN LATER TODAY. THIS MOTION WILL BRING THE CORE OF MARIA EAST OF THE BAHAMAS TODAY AND THEN OVER OPEN WATERS OF THE WESTERN ATLANTIC.
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. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT, WITH GRADUAL WEAKENING EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON SUNDAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES.
HURRICANE MARIA POTENTIALLY CAN PRODUCE SEVERAL TORNADOES AS IT MOVES ALONG ITS TRACK.
TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE STILL LIKELY OVER PORTIONS OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND MAYAGUANA DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS BUT SHOULD SUBSIDE LATER TODAY. 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 TODAY.
WATER LEVELS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE AS MARIA MOVES AWAY FROM THE ISLANDS.
LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN COASTS OF THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
RAINS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS AS WELL AS THE EASTERN BAHAMAS AS MARIA CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTH OF THOSE ISLANDS TODAY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AN INCH OR LESS ARE EXPECTED OVER THOSE AREAS TODAY.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN SAFE HARBOUR.
