ALERT #27 ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, SUNDAY 23 RD AUGUST 2020, AT 3 PM 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 BE EXPERIENCED 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 ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLAND OF ANDROS.

 

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 2 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LAURA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.4 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.3 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 55 MILES SOUTH OF THE EASTERN TIP OF CUBA OR ABOUT 125 MILES SOUTHSOUTHWEST OF INAGUA, OR ABOUT 205 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF RAGGED ISLAND, OR ABOUT 432 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE. 

 

LAURA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 21 MPH AND THIS GENERALLY MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF 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 AND TONIGHT. 

 

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

 

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDS OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. 

 

LOCALIZED FLOODING AND GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE AFOREMENTIONED ISLANDS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

 

RESIDENTS IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE GUSTY WINDS UP TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WITH POCKETS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS DURING HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADIC ACTIVITY.

 

RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND ANDROS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS. 

 

RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.

 

THE NEXT ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA WILL BE ISSUED AT 6 PM EDT TODAY.

 

 ISSUED BY: BASIL A. DEAN