HURRICANE MATTHEW: (ALERT 17)

A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, AND THE EXUMAS. HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. THE ISLANDS INCLUDE MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.

AT 5PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.3 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.7 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 140 MILES SOUTH OF TIBURON, HAITI, 225 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI, 331 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, 427 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF DUNCAN TOWN RAGGED ISLAND AND 639 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT ABOUT 7 MPH. A NORTHWARD MOTION AT A FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF MATTHEW WILL APPROACH SOUTHWESTERN HAITI TONIGHT, MOVE NEAR EASTERN CUBA LATE TUESDAY, AND MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.  

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  MATTHEW IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE.  SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, BUT MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A POWERFUL HURRICANE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS IN INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETE ALL PREPARATION AS HURRICANE MATTHEW COULD BEGIN TO AFFECT THESE ISLANDS ON TUESDAY MORNING. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO AFFECT THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR AND THE EXUMAS ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING.  RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS ARE ALSO ADVISED TO LISTEN AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ALL ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.

EXTENSIVE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED AS MATTHEW IS FORECAST TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES.  MATTHEW IS ALSO EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.  

THE COMBINATION OF A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE AND LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES COULD RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 10 TO 15 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE PROPERLY SECURED.

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE MATTHEW WILL BE ISSUED AT 9PM EDT ON MONDAY