HURRICANE MATTHEW STILL A 140-MPH STORM (Alert 18)

ALERT #18 ON HURRICANE MATTHEW ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY MONDAY 3RDOCTOBER, 2016 AT 9PM.

HURRICANE HUNTERS FIND MATTHEW IS STILL A 140 MPH HURRICANE….LIFE-THREATENING RAIN, WIND, AND STORM SURGE EXPECTED IN PARTS OF HAITI TONIGHT.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS  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 INCLUDES 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 8PM, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.6 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 120 MILES SOUTH OF TIBURON, HAITI, 200 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI, 306 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA, 315 MILES SOUTH OF DUNCAN TOWN RAGGED ISLAND AND 608 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 8 MPH. A TURN BACK TOWARD THE NORTH AT A FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT 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 TUESDAYMORNING. 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.