Alert #9 on Hurricane Oscar issued by The Bahamas Department of Meteorology Sunday, 20th October, 2024 at NOON EDT.
… OSCAR STEADY IN INTENSITY AS IT MOVES WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD…
…LANDFALL EXPECTED IN CUBA LATER THIS AFTERNOON ALONG NORTH COASTLINE OF GUANTANAMO BAY OR HOLGUIN PROVIDENCES…
A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the islands of the Southeast Bahamas. This includes the islands of Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, Ragged Island and Inagua.
A Hurricane Warning means that Hurricane conditions could be experienced on these islands within 36 hours or is being experienced.
A Tropical Storm Watch is now in effect for the islands of the Central Bahamas. This includes Cat Island, Exuma, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador.
A Tropical Watch means that tropical Storm conditions could be experienced within 48 hours or is being experienced
At 11 AM EDT, the center of Hurricane Oscar was located near latitude 20.7 degrees North and longitude 73.9 degrees West, or about 25 miles southwest of Matthew Town, Inagua, or about 160 miles south-southeast of South Long Island, about 375 miles southeast of New Providence.
Oscar is moving toward the west-southwest near 7 MPH. A continued west-southwestward motion at a slow forward speed is expected through tonight, followed by a turn toward the northwest and north on Monday and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Oscar is expected to make landfall along the northern coast of Cuba later this afternoon or evening. The system is then expected to move across eastern Cuba tonight and Monday. Oscar will then accelerate northeastward across the Central Bahamas on Tuesday.
Maximum sustained winds are estimated to be near 80 MPH with higher gusts. Oscar is forecast to reach the northeastern coast of Cuba as a hurricane later this afternoon. Weakening is expected after landfall, but Oscar could still be a tropical storm when it moves north of Cuba late Monday and moves across the Central Bahamas on Tuesday.
Hurricane-force winds only extending outward up to 10 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.
Residents in Matthew Town, Inagua are now experiencing tropical storm force winds which will subside 2 PM this afternoon. However, they will continue to experience heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with possible tornadic activity for the remainder of today and into tonight.
Residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Mayaguana, Crooked Island and Acklins will also experience heavy showers and thunderstorms which could include tornadic activity for most of today.
Residents in Cat Island, Exuma, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador should begin making preparation for possible tropical storm conditions on Tuesday.