ALERT #12 ON HURRICANE MATTHEW ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY MONDAY 3RD OCTOBER, 2016 AT 3 AM EDT.
….EYE OF MATTHEW PASSING OVER A NOAA BOUY IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN…
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS 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 WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
A HURRICANE REMAINS 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 ISLANDSWITHIN 60 HOURS.
AT 2AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 75.0 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 310 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI, 245 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA, 429 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST 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 NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 130 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MATTHEW IS A CATEGORY 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 THROUGH 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 MONDAY NIGHT. RESIDENTS ARE ALSO ADVISED TO LISTEN AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ALL ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.
EXTENSIVE TO SEVERE FLOODING IS ANTICIPATED AS MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS, WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES. MATTHEW IS ALSO EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
THE COMBINATION OF A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE AND LARGE DESTRUCTIVE WAVES CAN ALSO RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST 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 6AM EDT ON MONDAY.
