NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6AM WEDNESDAY 11TH OCTOBER 2017.

… OPHELIA MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD AND STRENGTHENING … … FORECAST TO BECOME A HURRICANE BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY …

AT 5:00AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.2° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 37.0° WEST OR ABOUT 785 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AZORES.

TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 6 MPH. A SOUTHEASTWARD TO EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD MOTION WITH SOME REDUCTION IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST BY THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 65 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS, AND OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON.

PREPARED BY FORECASTER: ORSON NIXON