ALERT #13 ON HURRICANE DORIAN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 30TH AUGUST, 2019 AT 9AM EDT.

#Nassau, August 30, 2019 – Bahamas – ….AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT FINDS DORIAN A LITTLE STRONGER …

A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ABACO, GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI, BERRY ISLANDS, NORTH ELEUTHERA, NORTH ANDROS AND NEW PROVIDENCE. 

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS

AT 8AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DORIAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.2 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 69.4 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 313 MILES EAST OF SAN SALVADOR, 505 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MARSH HARBOUR ABACO AND 497 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

HURRICANE DORIAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 12 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY. A SLOWER WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD MOTION IS FORECAST TO BEGIN TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  ON THIS TRACK, DORIAN SHOULD MOVE OVER THE ATLANTIC WELL TO THE EAST OF THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS TODAY, APPROACH THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY, AND MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SUNDAY.

DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 110 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS, AND DORIAN IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER TODAY.  DORIAN IS LIKELY TO REMAIN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE WHILE IT MOVES NEAR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND APPROACHES THE FLORIDA PENINSULA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. 

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS IN THE MORE NORTHERLY ISLANDS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, ABACO, GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI AND THE BERRY ISLANDS, SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO ACTIVATE THEIR HURRICANE PLANS AS THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THE CENTER OF DORIAN WILL MOVE OVER OR NEAR THOSE ISLANDS ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.  RESIDENCE IN NORTH ELEUTHERA, NORTH ANDROS AND NEW PROVIDENCE SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO ACTIVATE THEIR HURRICANE PLANS AND BE PREPARED IN THE EVENT THAT THE TRACK OF DORIAN SHIFTS SLIGHTLY TO THE SOUTH.

DANGEROUS STORM SURGE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES UP TO 12 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED IN COASTAL AREAS NEAR THE CENTER OF DORIAN.

DORIAN IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 1 TO 2 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. 

MARINERS ARE ASKED TO EXERCISE CAUTION AS SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO BEGIN AFFECTING THE EAST-FACING SHORES OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS TODAY AND TOMORROW.   

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE DORIAN WILL BE ISSUED AT 12PM EDT ON FRIDAY 30^TH AUGUST, 2019. 

PREPARED BY:  GREGORY D THOMPSON  SMO – (DUTY FORECASTER)