NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EPSILON ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION AT 12 PM, TUESDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2020.

...EPSILON TURNS NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC...TROPICAL STORM WATCH ISSUED FOR BERMUDA...

AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM EPSILON WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.5° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 55.0° WEST, OR ABOUT 710 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA.

EPSILON IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, EPSILON IS FORECAST TO MOVE CLOSER TO BERMUDA ON THURSDAY AND MAKE ITS CLOSEST APPROACH TO THE ISLAND ON FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND EPSILON IS FORECAST TO BE AT OR NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH BY THURSDAY.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6 PM.

PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: IAN V. MCKENZIE