ALERT #19 ON TROPICAL STORM ETA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, SUNDAY 8 TH NOVEMBER, 2020, AT 2 AM EST.

…ETA EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL IN CUBA IN A FEW HOURS…FORECAST TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS STORM SURGE, FLASH FLOODS AND STRONG WINDS OVER PORTIONS OF CUBA AND SOUTH FLORIDA…

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO, BIMINI, BERRY ISLANDS, ANDROS, NEW PROVIDNCE AND ELEUTHERA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCE IN SOME OR ALL OF THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF EXUMA, CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND, SAN SALVADOR AND RUM CAY.

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS. AT 1 AM EST, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ETA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 79.8 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 125 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA, OR ABOUT 340 MILES SOUTH OF MIAMI FLORIDA, OR ABOUT 259 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KEMPS BAY ANDROS, OR ABOUT 321 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

ETA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 13 MPH (20 KM/H). A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST AT A SLOWER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT, FOLLOWED BY A WESTWARD MOTION ON MONDAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ETA WILL APPROACH SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS TODAY, WHILE PASSING WEST OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THROUGH TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAINS NEAR 65 MPH (95 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME WEAKENING IS POSSIBLE AFTER LANDFALL IN CUBA, BUT ETA IS FORECAST TO RE-STRENGTHEN LATER TODAY AND COULD BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES AND MOVES NEAR OR OVER SOUTH FLORIDA.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THIS MORNING AND COULD CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTER BANDS OF ETA WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE ENTIRE BAHAMAS THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED, MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 18 INCHES ARE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS THROUGH THURSDAY.

BOATERS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN IN PORT AS ETA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS SWELLS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED PREPARATIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS AND LOCALIZED FLOODING IN LOW-LYING AREAS. RESIDENTS AND INTERESTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR ALERTS ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY ON ETA.

THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM ETA WILL BE ISSUED AT 5 AM EST, SUNDAY, 8 TH NOVEMBER 2020.

ISSUED BY: GOFFREY GREENE CHIEF METEOROLOGICAL OFFICER