BASED ON INFORMATION FROM ALERT #23 ON HURRICANE MATTHEW ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY TUESDAY 4TH OCTOBER, 2016 AT NOON EDT.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 11AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.3 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 235 MILE SOUTHWEST OF PROVIDECIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS.
MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTH NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY, FOLLOWED BY A NORTHWEST TURN WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MATTHEW IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-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 THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED THEIR PREPARTION. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TONIGHT. RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ARE 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 RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES. MATTHEW IS ALSO EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
THE COMBINATION OF A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE AND LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES COULD RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE THROUGHOUT BAHAMAS.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AND SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE PROPERLY SECURED.
