THIS IS A NEWS ITEM ON NEWLY FORMED TROPICAL STORM SAM ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE AT 12PM EDT, THURSDAY, 23RD SEPTEMBER, 2021.
…DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS INTO TROPICAL STORM SAM THE 18TH NAMED STORM OF THE SEASON…NOW FORECAST TO BECOME A HURRICANE TOMORROW…
AT 11:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM SAM WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 10.9° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 38.1° WESTOR 1745 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.
SAM IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 16 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS BUT WITH A GRADUAL SLOWDOWN IN FORWARD MOTION.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 50 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND SAM IS NOW FORECAST TO BECOME A HURRICANE TOMORROW AND BE NEAR MAJOR HURRICANE INTENSITY BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
