News Item on Tropical Storm Beta issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Forecast Office at  6PM, MONDAY, 21STSEPTEMBER, 2020.

...SLOW-MOVING BETA GETTING CLOSER TO THE TEXAS COAST... ...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAINS OCCURRING OVER THE CENTRAL TEXAS COASTAL AREA...

AT 5:00 5M EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BETA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 96.1° WEST OR 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PORT OCONNOR TEXAS.

BETA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AND A SHARP TURN TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST ARE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST BEFORE BETA REACHES THE TEXAS COAST. WEAKENING IS ANTICIPATED ONCE BETA MOVES INLAND. THIS SYSTEM POSES NO THREAT TO THE BAHAMAS.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED 6AM TUESDAY.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: IAN V. MCKENZIE