#Bahamas, September 10, 2017 – Nassau – ALERT NUMBER FORTY SIX (#46) ON HURRICANE IRMA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY SUNDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 9PM EDT.
…IRMA MOVING NORTH NEAR FORT MYERS FLORIDA
….TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER GRAND BAHAMA AND BIMINI…
TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR GRAND BAHAMA AND BIMINI.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING OR CAN AFFECT THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 8PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.7 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 81.7 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF FORT MYERS FLORIDA, 184 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF SOUTH BIMINI, 194 MILES WEST OF WEST END GRAND BAHAMA, 288 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
IRMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 14 MPH AND A NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT, WITH THAT MOTION CONTINUING THROUGH MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE EYE OF IRMA SHOULD MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE WEST COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALTHOUGH WEAKENING IS EXPECTED, IRMA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A HURRICANE AT LEAST THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 220 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ALONG WITH HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL BEING EXPERIENCED OVER BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT.
EXTENSIVE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS IRMA COULD PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER BIMINI AND WEST END GRAND BAHAMA.
RESIDENTS IN BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA ARE STRONGLY ASKED TO REMAIN INDOORS AS TORNADOS REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN SAFE HARBOUR.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE IRMA WILL BE ISSUED AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
ISSUED BY: BASIL DEAN
