ALERT #7 ON TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION AT 9:00 PM E.D.T., TUESDAY 09TH JULY, 2013.
…CHANTAL HURRING ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA …
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. THESE ISLANDS INCLUDE, INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND AND CROOKED ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THESE ISLANDS INCLUDE EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR AND CAT ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.
AT 8:00 PM E.D.T, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.4°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 64.9° WEST OR ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO, 619 MILES SOUTHEAST (SE) OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS, 674 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST (ESE) OF MATTHEW TOWN, INAGUA AND 737 MILES SOUTHEAST (SE) OF SPRING POINT, ACKLINS.
CHANTAL IS MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AT 26 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK …THE CENTER OF CHANTAL WILL PASS SOUTH OF PUERTO RICO TONIGHT’’’AND IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR OVER THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. CHANTAL IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER THE TURKS CAICOS ISLANDS AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. CHANTAL IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE REACHING HISPANIOLA.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER.
BECAUSE OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF CHANTAL TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS, RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD COMPLETE ALL PREPARATIONS…SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD SEEK A SAFE HARBOUR AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF CHANTAL.
THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT MIDNIGHT.
