#Bahamas, October 28, 2017 – Nassau – A TROPICAL DEPRESSION HAS FORMED OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA….
…..HEAVY RAINS ARE SPREADING NORTHWARD ACROSS CUBA AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS TOWARD THE FLORIDA KEYS AND THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS…..
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, ABACO, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF THE DISTURBANCE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.8 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 82.9 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 170 MILES SOUTH OF HAVANA CUBA OR 55 MILES SOUTH OF THE ISLE OF YOUTH AND ABOUT 450 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 22 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. A MOTION TOWARD THE NORTHEAST WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER WILL MOVE ACROSS WEST-CENTRAL CUBA THIS AFTERNOON, ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA TONIGHT, AND ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS SUNDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS, AND THE DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM BY TONIGHT.
RESIDENTS IN ELEUTHERA, ABACO, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPACT OF POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
RESIDENTS IN SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND AND THE EXUMAS SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO MAKE PREPARATION FOR POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS.
REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT, MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED, AS THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.
BRIEF TORNADIC ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SUNDAY MORNING.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AS HIGH WAVES GENERATED BY THIS SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
ISSUED BY: ARNOLD KING/ORSON NIXON
