ALERT #25 ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, SUNDAY 23RD AUGUST 2020, AT NOON EDT.

BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

Forecast Office Section

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

Nassau, Bahamas

 

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

 

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

 

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

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ANDROS ISLAND.

 

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.

 

A TROPICAL STORM ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO, BIMINI, THE BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA AND NEW PROVIDENCE.

 

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

 

AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LAURA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.2 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 72,2 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 70 MILES NORTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI, OR ABOUT 210 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, OR ABOUT 125 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF INAGUA, OR ABOUT 475 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE. 

 

LAURA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 21 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF LAURA WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER CUBA TONIGHT AND MONDAY, WHILE PASSING SOUTH OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TODAY. 

 

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE PRIMARILY OCCURING OVER WATER TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST WHILE LAURA MOVES NEAR CUBA. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST AFTER THE STORM MOVES OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO, AND IF FORECAST TO BECOME A HURRICANE LATE TUESDAY OR TUESDAY NIGHT. 

 

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER.

 

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 WILL EXPERIENCE GUSTY WINDS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS DURING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AS THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADIC ACTIVITIES. RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND ANDROS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBILITY OF TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS. 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 3 PM EDT TODAY.

 

 ISSUED BY: JEFFREY SIMMONS