THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FROM 11:30 AM EDT UNTIL 1:30 PM, MONDAY 16TH MAY 2022.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR GRAND BAHAMA, THE ABACOS, BIMINI, THE BERRY ISLANDS AND NORTH ANDROS, ALONG WITH THEIR ADJACENT WATERS AND NOW INCLUDES CENTRAL AND SOUTH ANDROS, SOUTH ELEUTHERA, NORTHERN CAT ISLAND ALONG WITH THEIR ADJACENT WATERS.

AT 11:20 AM, LIGHTNING DETECTION, RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTED LINES OF SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHEASTWARDS, TOWARDS AND ACROSS THE WARNING AREAS. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A BROAD UNSTABLE AIR MASS COUPLED WITH TROUGHING.

SHOWERS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE AT TIMES CAUSING STRONG GUSTY WINDS, DANGEROUS LIGHTNING, HEAVY DOWNPOURS, HAIL AND POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT OR TORNADIC ACTIVITY. LOCALIZED FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE DURING THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS. BOATERS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOUR AND RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS WHEN CONDITIONS WORSEN.

RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES OR IN WATER AS THESE CAN BECOME LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS.