HURRICANE MATTHEW: Extensive to severe flooding can be expected (ALERT #10)

Alert #10 on Hurricane Matthew issued by the Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Sunday October 2, 2016 at 9pm.

Air Force Hurricane Hunters find Matthew is still a powerful Category Four Hurricane.

A Hurricane Watch remains in effect for the Southeast Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.  This includes the islands of Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Ragged Island, Long Cay, Samana Cay and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions could affect the mentioned islands within 48 hours.

A hurricane alert remains in effect for the Northwest and Central Bahamas.  This includes the islands of Long Island, Cat Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador, The Exumas, Eleuthera, New Providence, Andros, The Berry Islands, Bimini, Grand Bahama and Abaco. 

 A Hurricane Alert means that hurricane conditions could affect the mentioned islands within 60 hours.

At 8pm, the center of Hurricane Matthew was located near latitude 14.5 degrees north and longitude 75.0 degrees west or about 335 miles south-southwest of Port Au Prince Haiti, 265 miles south-southeast of Kingston Jamaica, 458 miles south of Inagua and 742 miles south-southeast of New Providence.

Hurricane Matthew is moving toward the northwest at about 5 mph. A turn toward the north-northwest is expected tonight, followed by a turn toward the north on Monday.  On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will approach Jamaica and southwestern Haiti on Monday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 145 miles per hour with higher gusts.  Matthew is a category four hurricane on the saffir-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 into Tuesday.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.

Residents throughout The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands should continue to make preparation for hurricane conditions which could begin to affect islands of Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Ragged Island, Long Cay, Samana Cay and the Turks and Caicos Islands by late Tuesday with tropical storm conditions possible by early Tuesday.  Residents 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 up to 25 inches of rain as it passes through The Bahamas.

Small craft operators throughout The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands should begin to seek safe harbour for their vessels.