ALERT #32 ON TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, SATURDAY 1 ST AUGUST 2020, AT 6 PM EDT.

……ISAIAS WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM…... …...EXPECTED TO RE-STRENGTHEN TO A HURRICANE OVERNIGHT AS IT EXITS THE BAHAMAS…...

HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ANDROS, NEW PROVIDENCE, ELEUTHERA, ABACO, GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI AND THE BERRY ISLANDS INCLUDING THE NEIGHBOURING CAYS,

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE BEING EXPERIENCED OR COULD BE EXPERIENCED SOMEWHERE IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AT 5 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF ISAIAS NEAR LATITUDE 25.1 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 78.7 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES WEST OF RED BAYS NORTH ANDROS, 60 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ALICE TOWN BIMINI, 85 MILES WEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE AND 95 MILES SOUTH OF FREEPORT GRAND BAHAMA.

ISAIAS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH, AND A GENERAL NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO, FOLLOWED BY A NORTHNORTHWESTWARD MOTION BY LATE SUNDAY AND A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND NORTH-NORTHEAST ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ISAIAS WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER BIMINI AND WELL TO THE WEST OF GRAND BAHAMA TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME RE-STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST, AND ISAIAS EXPECTED TO REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH TONIGHT. SLOW WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SUNDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER

STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG COASTAL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS.

BIMINI IS EXPERIENCING TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WHICH WILL INCREASE TO NEAR HURRICANE CONDITIONS THROUGH TONIGHT. GRAND BAHAMA WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS, BUT NOT AS SEVERE AS EARLIER FORECAST DUE TO A WESTWARD SHIFT OF THE FORECAST TRACK. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS IN BIMINI AND GRAND WILL SUBSIDE BY SUNDAY MORNING AS ISAIAS MOVE AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS.

LOCALIZED FLOODING IS EXPECTED AS ISAIAS IS FORECAST TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES.

RESIDENTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO REMAIN INDOORS WHILE EXPERIENCING HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. TORNADIC ACTIVITIES ARE POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

SMALL CRAFT IN THE BAHAMAS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOUR AND REMAIN IN PORT DUE TO DANGEROUS SWELLS AHEAD, DURING AND AFTER THE PASSAGE OF ISAIAS.

RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO FOLLOW ALL ADVICE GIVEN IN ALERT MESSAGES. THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE ISAIAS WILL BE ISSUED AT 9 PM EDT SATURDAY 1ST AUGUST, 2020.

ISSUED BY: JEFFREY SIMMONS