This is a News Item on Hurricane Helene issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Forecast Office at NOON WEDNESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2018.

...HELENE FORECAST TO WEAKEN OVER THE EASTERN ATLANTIC... ...INTERESTS IN THE AZORES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF HELENE...

AT 11:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE HELENE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.3°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 36.5° WEST OR ABOUT 870 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE CABO VERDE ISLANDS.

HELENE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH (22 KM/H). A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 90 MPH (150 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND HELENE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM ON THURSDAY.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6PM.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: SHEZELLE MATHER