ALERT #11 ON HURRICANE MATTHEW ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY MONDAY 3RD OCTOBER, 2016 AT 12 AM EDT.
….MATTHEW MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWARD AS A POWERFUL CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE…
…HURRICANE WARNING AND WATCH ISSUED FOR THE BAHAMAS
A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOUR
A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR AND THE EXUMAS
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.
A HURRICANE ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO.
A HURRICANE ALERT MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS.
AT 11PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.7 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 75.0 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 325 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI, 255 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA, 458 MILES SOUTH OF INAGUA AND 742 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
HURRICANE MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 5 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF MATTHEW WILL APPROACH JAMAICA AND SOUTHWESTERN HAITI ON MONDAY AND INTO TUESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MATTHEW IS A CATERGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A POWERFUL HURRICANE INTO TUESDAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 195 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE PREPARATION FOR HURRICANE CONDITIONS WHICH COULD BEGIN TO AFFECT ISLANDS OF MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS BY LATE TUESDAY WITH TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS POSSIBLE BY EARLY TUESDAY. RESIDENTS ARE ALSO ADVISED TO LISTEN AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ALL ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.
EXTENSIVE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS MATTHEW IS FORECAST TO PRODUCE UP TO 25 INCHES OF RAIN AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE BAHAMAS.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD BEGIN TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE MATTHEW WILL BE ISSUED AT 3AM EDT ON MONDAY.
