ALERT #5 ON HURRICANE IRMA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY TUESDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 6PM EDT.
A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WITHIN 48 HOURS.
AT 5PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.1 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 59.8 DEGREES, 821 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
HURRICANE IRMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT ABOUT 15 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS FORECAST TO BEGIN TONIGHT AND CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CORE OF IRMA WILL MOVE OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY AND PASS NEAR OR JUST NORTH OF PUERTO RICO LATE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 185 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IRMA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, BUT IRMA IS FORECAST TO REMAIN A POWERFUL CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE PREPARATIONS AS THEY CAN BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE IRMA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE BAHAMAS ARE ADVISED TO SERIOUSLY BEGIN MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR HURRICANE IRMA SHOULD THE NEED ARISE.
EXTENSIVE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS IRMA IS FORECAST TO PRODUCE 8 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN.
STORM SURGE BETWEEN 15 TO 20 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR.
