General Situation: A strong high pressure ridge north of the Bahamas will continue to produce brisk winds across the area through Friday. High pressure ridge will weaken over the area through the weekend as a cold front becomes stationary near over or over the Extreme NW Bahamas, before dissipating on Sunday. A strong high pressure system over the eastern United States will push another cold front into the NW Bahamas on Monday as it becomes quasi-stationary with unsettled weather and brisk winds through Wednesday.

Thursday 18th – Partly to mostly sunny, breezy and hot with the chance of few passing showers and isolated thunderstorms during the daytime. Fair, breezy and warm at night with a slight chance of a passing shower or two. Maximum temperature 90°F and minimum temperature 78°F. Small craft should exercise caution in the NW Bahamas and an advisory across the Central and SE Bahamas. Winds E’ly at 15 to 20 knots across the NW Bahamas and E’ly at 15 to 25 knots across the Central and SE Bahamas. Seas 4 to 6 feet across the NW Bahamas and 5 to 8 feet in the Central and SE Bahamas.

Friday 19th – Partly to mostly sunny, breezy and hot with the chance of few scattered shower and isolated thunderstorms during the daytime. Partly cloudy to fair skies, breezy and warm at night with the chance of one or two showers. Maximum temperature 90°F and minimum temperature 78°F. Small craft caution across the entire Bahamas, falling below a caution in the NW Bahamas at times. Winds E’lyE to E at 15 to 20 knots across the entire Bahamas at first, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots at times across the NW Bahamas later. Seas 4 to 6 feet across the entire Bahamas, falling to 2 to 4 feet at times across the NW Bahamas later.

Saturday 20th – Partly to mostly sunny, hot and a bit breezy with the chance of few passing showers and isolated thunderstorms during the daytime. Fair and warm at night with the chance of a passing shower. Maximum temperature 91°F and minimum temperature 76°F. Small craft should exercise caution across parts of the Central and SE Bahamas early. Winds E’ly at 10 knots or less across the NW Bahamas and E’ly at 15 to 20 knots early in parts of the Central and SE Bahamas, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots later. Seas 1 to 3 feet across the NW Bahamas and 4 to 6 feet across the Central and SE Bahamas early, falling 2 to 4 feet later.

Sunday 21st – Mostly sunny, humid and hot with the chance of few passing showers and possible isolated thunderstorms during the daytime. Fair and warm at night with few scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms mainly across the NW and SE Bahamas. Maximum temperature 90°F and minimum temperature 76°F. Winds variable at 10 knots or less at first across the NW Bahamas, becoming NW to N at 10 to 15 knots later and NE to E at 10 to 15 knots across the Central and SE Bahamas, turning more N to NE later. Seas 2 to 4 feet over the entire Bahamas, falling to 1 to 3 feet at times.

Monday 22nd – Partly cloudy, windy and warm with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms mainly across the NW Bahamas during the daytime, turning partly cloudy to cloudy, breezy and warm with more scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms at night. Elsewhere, partly to mostly sunny, hot and humid with few passing showers during the daytime, turning fair and warm at night. Maximum temperature 87°F and minimum temperature 76°F. Small craft advisory across the NW Bahamas, becoming a caution by nightfall. Winds NE to E at 15 to 25 knots across the NW Bahamas, falling to 15 to 20 knots later and NE to E at 10 to 15 knots with gusts to 15 to 20 knots in the Central and SE Bahamas. Seas 5 to 8 feet across the NW Bahamas but falling to 4 to 7 feet later and 2 to 4 feet in the Central and SE Bahamas, but building up to 4 to 6 feet in gusts.

Tuesday 23rd – Partly cloudy to cloudy, humid and hot with some scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms across the NW Bahamas during the daytime through nightfall. Partly to mostly sunny and hot with the chance of few showers or an isolated thunderstorm in the Central and SE Bahamas during the daytime. Partly cloudy to fair skies and warm at night with few showers and isolated thunderstorms across the Central and SE Bahamas. Maximum temperature 88°F and minimum temperature 76°F. Small craft should exercise caution across the entire Bahamas early. Winds E’ly at 15 to 20 knots early across the entire Bahamas, decreasing to 10 to 15 knots across all areas by afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 feet across the entire Bahamas early and falling to 2 to 4 feet later in the afternoon.

Wednesday 24th – Partly cloudy to cloudy, hot and humid with the chance of few scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms during the daytime. Partly cloudy to cloudy and warm at night with the chance of a night time shower. Maximum temperature 88°F and minimum temperature 77°F. Winds NE to E at 10 to 15 knots across all areas, falling light and variable at times and seas 2 to 4 feet across the entire Bahamas, falling to 3 feet or less at times.

Beachgoers and Mariners should exercise extreme caution due to the high risk of dangerous rip currents along the northern and eastern shorelines. Boaters and Beachgoers should be alert for possible waterspout activity and take all necessary precautions to protect life and property. Residents should be alert for the risk of localized flooding during heavy downpours and prolonged rainfall events.

Geoffrey N. Greene