HURRICANE MATTHEW: MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT ABOUT 6 MPH (ALERT #15)

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF 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 WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR AND THE EXUMAS 

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS

A HURRICANE ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF 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 11AM, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.6 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 75.0 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 230 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA, 290 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI, 376 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, 451 MILES SOUTH OF DUNCAN TOWN RAGGED ISLAND AND 665 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE. 

HURRICANE MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT ABOUT 6 MPH.   THIS GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED EXPECTED TONIGHT.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF MATTHEW WILL APPROACH SOUTHWESTERN HAITI TONIGHT, MOVE NEAR EASTERN CUBA LATE TUESDAY, AND MOVE NEAR OR OVER PERTIONS 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 35 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 SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD BEGIN TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS.