ALERT #12 ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FRIDAY 21ST AUGUST 2020, AT 6PM EDT.

BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

Forecast Office Section

Telephone No. 377-7178/377-7040 Fax No. 377-5275

Nassau, Bahamas

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, AND SAMANA CAY. 

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED WITHIN 48 HOURS. 

 

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, EXUMA, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, SOUTH ELEUTHERA AND SOUTH ANDROS.

 

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS. 

 

AT 5PM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LAURA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.1 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 61.2 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 40 MILES EAST OF ANTIGUA, OR ABOUT 710 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, OR ABOUT 820 MILES EASTSOUTHEAST OF INAGUA, OR ABOUT 1,180 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

 

THE STORM IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 17 MPH AND A GENERALLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION AT A FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF LAURA WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS LATER TODAY, NEAR THE NORTHERN COAST OF HISPANIOLA LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND IN THE VICINITY OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME SLOW STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. 

 

LOCALIZED FLOODING AND GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLANDS AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 

RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE MAKING PREPARATION FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, AND RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULD BEGIN TO PREPARE FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING SUNDAY AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.

 

THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA WILL BE ISSUED AT 9PM EDT TODAY. 

 

ISSUED BY: BASIL A. DEAN