ALERT #1 ON POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE #18 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER, 2017 AT 6PM EDT.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE AREA LOCATED OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS DISTURBANCE HAS THE POTENTIAL OF DEVELOPING INTO A TROPICAL STORM AND AFFECTING THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS 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 IS 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 5 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF THE DISTURBANCE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.5 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 84.5 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 415 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF HAVANA CUBA AND ABOUT 690 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.
THE SYSTEM IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MILES PER HOUR. A FASTER NORTHWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TONIGHT, FOLLOWED BY A FASTER MOTION TOWARD THE NORTHWEST ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS WESTERN CUBA LATE SATURDAY AND MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND THE SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO BECOME TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE TONIGHT OR SATURDAY.
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 ON SATURSDAY NIGHT.RESIDENTS IN SAL 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 AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.
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.
THE NEXT ALERT ON POTENTIAL TROPICAL STORM 18 WIL BE ISSUED AT 9PM EDT ON FRIDAY.
