Venezuela plans to introduce supermarket fingerprinting
President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela has announced a mandatory fingerprinting system in supermarkets to combat food shortages and smuggling.
He said the system would stop people from buying too much of a single item.
But the opposition in Venezuela rejected the plan, saying the policy treated all Venezuelans as thieves.
Critics said fingerprinting consumers of staple products was tantamount to rationing and constituted a breach of privacy.
Up to 40% of the goods which Venezuela subsidises for its domestic market are smuggled to Colombia, where they are sold at much higher prices, the authorities say.
"The amount of staples smuggled to Colombia would be enough to load the shelves of our supermarkets," Gen Efrain Velasco Lugo, a military spokesman, told El Universal newspaper earlier this week.
The opposition blames what it says are the failed left-wing policies of the past 15 years - initiated by late President Hugo Chavez - for the country's economic crisis.
Dissatisfaction with the shortage of many staples, as well as rampant crime and high inflation, led thousands of people in the western Venezuelan states of Tachira and Merida to take to the streets in January.
The protests quickly spread to the rest of Venezuela, which faces similar problems.
Earlier this month Venezuela launched an anti-smuggling operation on its border with Colombia.
It deployed 17,000 troops along the border and began closing all the crossings at night.
The one-month ban will be lifted in mid-September.
Source-BBC
California earthquake strikes San Francisco Bay area
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 has shaken northern California, reports the US Geological Survey.
The USGS said it struck at 03:20 local time (10:20 GMT) four miles (6km) north-west of American Canyon, at a depth of 6.7 miles.
Dozens of people were injured in the Napa area, at least two seriously.
The site is 51 miles from Sacramento and about 30 miles north-east of San Francisco, where many Twitter users say the earthquake woke them up.
Officials in Napa said in a statement that the quake had destroyed four mobile homes and caused "approximately 50" gas main breaks and around 30 leaks from water mains.
Three historic buildings in the town had been hit and two commercial buildings "severely damaged", the statement went on.
More than 10,000 households were without power in Napa County, about six miles from the earthquake's epicentre, and the surrounding area, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company said.
The California Highway Patrol in the San Francisco Bay Area tweeted that it was "checking over crossings and bridges for obvious signs of structural integrity" and asked residents to report any signs of problems.
Twitter users in the quake zone contacted the BBC to share their experiences.
Sarah McLellan tweeted: "On 6th floor entire building swaying, shaking", while Matt Dyar said: "Major shaker. Stuff off shelfs. Broken glass. No house damage that is obvious."
Another Twitter user said: "I haven't felt one that big since the Northridge quake in the early 90s."
California lies on the San Andreas Fault, which forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, two of the large moving plates that form the Earth's crust.
Source-BBC
Netanyahu Warns Gazans to Leave Hamas Sites
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday to leave any site where "terrorists" are operating.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, the Israeli leader said all these places are legitimate targets.
Netanyahu said the military will continue to strike at Hamas and other "terrorist groups" in Gaza until Israel achieves its goals, namely, an end to Palestinian rocket attacks and the restoration of peace and quiet.
Hamas responded by firing more rockets and mortar shells across the border, paralyzing much of southern Israel.
The Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas is now in its seventh week with no sign of a letup.
More than 2,100 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the conflict. Of the 68 Israelis who have died, 64 were soldiers.
Israeli warplanes leveled a five-story building located in the Al-Shati Camp district in Gaza Sunday. An Israeli strike leveled a seven-floor office building earlier Sunday.
On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes hit a 13-story apartment tower that housed 44 families. Israel's military said there were Hamas "terrorist activities" in the buildings and their attacks are aimed at deterrence.
The targeting of large buildings appears to be part of a new military tactic by Israel, a move which Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri described as a "dangerous development."
Ukraine's Poroshenko Vows $3 Billion for Military
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has vowed to increase military spending by $3 billion over the next few years because of the ongoing pro-Russian separatist threat in the east of Ukraine.
Poroshenko made the comment Sunday in Kyiv during a speech marking Independence Day, 23 years after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
He told a crowd of thousands gathered in Independence Square to view a military parade that it is clear the separatist threat will "hang over Ukraine" for the foreseeable future, and the country must be prepared to defend itself.
On Saturday, Western monitors said the Russian aid convoy that crossed into Ukraine Friday had gone back to Russia, easing international tensions as German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Ukraine's capital voicing renewed hopes for peace.
Merkel met with President Poroshenko, and pledged $660 million in German aid to help rebuild cities in eastern Ukraine battered by months of fighting.
Pro-Russian rebels in the Russian-speaking east launched their rebellion in April. Since then, an estimated 2,000 people have been killed as government forces seek to regain control of the region.
Merkel said her visit, just three days ahead of a meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, comes at "a difficult but decisive time" for Ukraine's territorial integrity. She also warned that Moscow could face further economic sanctions if its support for the rebellion continues.
As the high-level diplomacy unfolded in Kyiv, at least six civilians were reported killed by artillery fire in the key rebel stronghold city of Donetsk, as Ukraine's forces press their fight against rebels near the Russian border.
In a related development, the U.S. State Department voiced shock Saturday over reports that a top Lithuanian diplomat was abducted and murdered by rebels in the the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk. Spokeswoman Marie Harf also extended condolences to the diplomat's family and said U.S. authorities were still "seeking information on the circumstances of this tragedy."
Lithuanian authorities reported Friday that Honorary Consul Mykola Zelenec was kidnapped and killed, but did not immediately provide details.
The entry of Russia's convoy into Ukraine, following days of waiting as delivery details were negotiated with Kyiv, raised an outcry from Ukraine, the United States, NATO and the European Union.
White House officials called the crossing a flagrant violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and demanded Russia remove the convoy or face consequences.
In acknowledging the incursion, the Russian Foreign Ministry referred to "endless delays hampering the initial deliveries" and said those delays had become "intolerable." It also described the aid as "urgently needed by women, children and the elderly."
Ukraine and its allies had for days expressed fears Russia could use the aid trucks to smuggle arms to pro-Russian separatists inside Ukraine, or use the convoy as a prelude to a full-scale military operation.
There were no reports by late Saturday of either Russian smuggling linked to the convoy or ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine territory.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
China Executes 8 on Terrorism Convictions
China is reported to have executed eight people from the restive northwestern region of Xinjiang who were convicted of terrorist attacks, including three men authorities say planned the deadly suicide attack last year in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
The official Xinhua news agency said Sunday that the group's crimes included manufacturing explosives, murder of government officials and establishment of a terrorist organization. All of the men were Muslim Uighurs, who have been engaging in an increasingly violent separatist movement. The executions took place in the Xinjiang region during the past several days.
Chinese police have arrested hundreds of people in Xinjiang and handed out many lengthy jail sentences to dozens.
Beijing said it was fighting foreign-backed fighters who wanted to form an independent state in Xinjiang called "East Turkestan." Many analysts outside China said Beijing was exaggerating the threat in order to justify its repressive policies.
China denies persecuting or discriminating against the Uighurs, saying it has invested billions of dollars into developing Xinjiang, which is home to a large quantity of natural resources, including oil and natural gas.
Some informaion for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
TCIFA'S REPRESENTATIVES AT THE CONCACAF U15 GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP
Three Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA) representatives attended the recently held CONCACAF U15 Girls Championships that took place in the Cayman Islands. Attending on behalf of the Football Association were Patrice Senior, Alexander Bryan and Brittney Bien-Aime.
The inaugural competition featured teams from 16 countries throughout the CONCACAF confederation. Of the championship, it was the team from Canada that won after playing a hard-hitting game against Haiti. The event follows on the heels of last year’s inaugural the Boys’ Under-15 tournament, which was also hosted by the Cayman Islands and was won by Honduras.
Patrice Senior, selected by the regional Head of Refereeing, from amongst a group of referees who attended the FUTURO III Refereeing Course for Instructors back in April - attended as a Referee Inspector. Her responsibility was to ensure that as much as possible was provided to the refereeing team to perform at their highest level on match day. Each match saw Patrice assigned to a different team. She would sit in on preparation meetings, and on match day she would ensure dress code and departure time from the hotel was maintained. “I also ensured that my team for the day had all the necessary equipment depending on their role, by double checking with them,” said Patrice.
She went on to add that: “During the assessment for each match, I had to make notes of positives areas and areas for improvement for the referee, assistant referee 1 & 2 and fourth official. To this regard, I assessed eight games in total including quarter’s finals, and semi finals. I also acted as a liaison officer between the refereeing team and the assigned Match Commissioner.” Following on from the game, she would have to debrief the entire refereeing group, which consisted of 26 persons - of the previous match.
Of her experience, Patrice said: “It was a tremendous learning experience and a wonderful opportunity to represent my referee colleagues and TCIFA and TCI family. I would like to say thank you to our President, Mrs Sonia Bien-Aime; Mr. Alfredo Whittaker, Head of Referee (CONCACAF); and the refereeing family for 2014 U-15 Girls Championship. I look forward to working and sharing my knowledge and experience to improve our CONCACAF referees in any way in can.”
This is the second tournament that Alexander Bryan was appointed to, last year the U15 Boys being his first. Alex, as he is familiarly known - stated that for the first week he was stationed in Cayman Brac where the championship group matches consisted teams from Canada, Haiti, Cuba and Puerto Rico. There, he was responsible for inventory and storage as well as daily planning of meetings.
In Grand Cayman for the final leg of the tournament, Alex was also in charge of storage and the pre-set up of locker rooms, signage and documents. To this regard, he said he got to be general coordinator for the match for third place - where he was handed the opportunity to walk the teams out and start the game.
“I enjoyed my experience and learnt a lot about competitions and how hands on this job is where you're involved with all departments such as referees, match commissioners, coaches and players,” said Alex, adding: “It's not just about organizing but how quickly you can respond to problems that may arise.”
Selected to intern by CONCACAF's Competition's Department after an interview in July, Brittney Bien-Aime’s responsibilities entailed administrative tasks such as stapling papers, filing papers and preparing envelopes, However, she noted with a smile - that due to – “As I've been told, my advance level of understanding and maturity, I was given more complex responsibilities similar to that of an Assisting General Coordinator (AGC).” In this role, Brittney was responsible for preparing meeting halls, designing power-point presentations, greeting teams, taking part in team arrival meeting duties setting up the stadium for games and being trophy girl.
“My experience during this championship was one of a kind. I got to see first hand all the hard work and sweat that goes into the well presented games we watch, but also gained the opportunity to learn many new skills and information about ‘behind the scenes football’, that, along with meeting many influential and kind people,” said Brittney.
Bien-Amie went on to add that: “The work was intense and demanding, and sometimes you barely had time for yourself; but I appreciated this because like everyone that works in the sport says: ‘Once you've worked in football, you're fit to work in any field’. It has truly prepared me for the working world, and I'd love to work with them again!”
Sonia Bien-Aime, President of the TCIFA said: “This was a great opportunity for the trio, who have demonstrated a high level of maturity and expertise in their respective roles during the tournament. In addition to the many positive feedback received, I have had the privilege of observing all three of them in action during the Semifinals and Finals of the tournament. I felt really proud to see them represent us at the Confederation's inaugural tournament in such a professional manner. They have certainly contributed to raising the profile of the TCIFA.”
Bien-Aime went on to add that: “It is hoped that Patrice will return home and share all of the knowledge and experience as a Referee Inspector with referees in the TCIFA's Referees Development Programme, and likewise young Alex and Brittney will be able to demonstrate and share what they have learnt with organizers at our very own tournaments. This is no doubt the first of many opportunities to come for stakeholders involved in our development programs.”
CRISTOBAL RE-FORMS A LITTLE
….. CRISTOBAL RE-FORMS A LITTLE TO THE NORTHEAST AND IS STILL MOVING NORTHWESTWARD NEAR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA…..IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS.
AT 8AM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 73.0 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF MAYAGUANA, 130 MILES EAST OF LONG ISLAND AND 310 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.
TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MILES PER HOUR. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS MORNING …FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED LATER TODAY AND MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OFCRISTOBAL WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH MONDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS, AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS AROUND 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE NECESSARY PREPARATION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY PRIMARILY FROM FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND WINDS OF UP TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SMALL BOATERS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 WILL BE ISSUED AT 11AM EDT.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS TO TROPICAL STORM
AN UPDATED STATEMENT ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY SUNDAY 24TH AUGUST 2014 AT 6:30AM EDT.
.... TROPICAL DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS TO TROPICAL STORM …
NOAA AND AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT DATA INDICATE THAT THE DEPRESSION HAS STRENGTHENED TO TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA…..IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS.
AT 5AM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGTITUDE 73.3 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF MAYAGUANA, 120 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF LONG ISLAND AND 295 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.
TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MILES PER HOUR. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY…FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED LATER TODAY AND MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH MONDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS, AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS AROUND 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE NECESSARY PREPERATION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY PRIMARILY FROM FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND WINDS OF UP TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SMALL BOATERS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL WILL BE ISSUED AT 9AM EDT.
ALERT #5 ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4
ALERT #5 ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY SUNDAY 24TH AUGUST 2014 AT 6AM EDT.
….. DEPRESSION EXPECTED TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM TODAY…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA…..IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS.
AT 5AM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 73.3 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF MAYAGUANA, 120 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF LONG ISLAND AND 295 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MILES PER HOUR. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY…FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED LATER TODAY AND MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF THE DEPRESSION WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH MONDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND THE DEPRESSION IS FORECAST TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM TODAY.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS, AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS AROUND 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE NECESSARY PREPARATION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY PRIMARILY FROM FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND WINDS OF UP TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SMALL BOATERS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.
THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 WILL BE ISSUED AT 9AM EDT.
ALERT #2 ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4
ALERT #2 ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY SATURDAY 23RD AUGUST 2014 AT 9PM EDT.
….. DEPRESSION JUST NORTHWEST OF PROVIDENCIALES IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS…
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA AND INAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA…..IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
AT 8 PM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGTITUDE 72.4 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF NORTHWEST POINT, TURKS AND CAICOS, 80 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREAT INAGUA AND 32 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MAYAGUANA.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 11 MILES PER HOUR. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY…FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF THE DEPRESSION WILL CONTINUE MOVING NEAR OR OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS AND SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND PASS NEAR OR OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 35 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND THE DEPRESSION IS FORECAST TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM BY SUNDAY.
TROPICAL DEPRESSION #4 IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS, AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY.
RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD BEGIN AND COMPLETE THE NECESSARY PREPERATION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY PRIMARILY FROM FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND WINDS OF UP TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE.