NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM SEBASTIEN, ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION AT 12 PM EST WEDNESDAY 20TH NOVEMBER 2019.

...SEBASTIEN MAINTAINS INTENSITY...

...EXPECTED TO TURN NORTH SOON...

AT 11 AM EST, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM SEBASTIEN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.1° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 61.7° WEST, OR ABOUT 220 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.

SEBASTIEN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MILES PER HOUR. A TURN TO THE NORTH IS EXPCTED LATER TODAY. A TURN TO THE NORTHEAST WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. SEBASTIEN IS EXPECTED TO BECOME AN EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS AND BE ABSORBED BY A COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6 PM.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: IAN V. MCKENZIE