HURRICANE MATTHEW: Storm strengthening near the Northwest Bahamas (ALERT #38)
ALERT #38 ON HURRICANE MATTHEW ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY THURSDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 2016 AT 9AM EDT.
…RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT FINDS MATTHEW STRENGTHENING NEAR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS …
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, EXUMA, CAT ISLAND, ELEUTHERA NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI, ABACO AND GRAND BAHAMA.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE BEING EXPERIENCED OR EXPECTED OVER THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.
HURRICANE WARNINGS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF INAGUA, RAGGED ISLAND, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY AND SAMANA CAY. HENCE, THE ALL CLEAR IS NOW ISSUED FOR THESE ISLANDS.
AT 8AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.6 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 77.5 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 142 MILES NORTHWEST OF GEORGE TOWN EXUMA, 31 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF KEMP’S BAY ANDROS, 17 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FRESH CREEK ANDROS, 52 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NICHOLL’S TOWN ANDROS, 30 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE, 89 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF GREAT HARBOUR CAY THE BERRY ISLANDS, 123 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF ARTHUR’S TOWN CAT ISLAND, 138 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MARSH HARBOUR ABACO AND 172 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WEST END, GRAND BAHAMA.
MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH, AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. ON THIS PRESENT TRACK THE EYE OF MATTHEW SHOULD PASS NEAR OR OVER FRESH CREEK ANDROS AROUND 9AM THIS MORNING AND OVER NICHOLL’S TOWN AND MORGAN’S BLUFF BETWEEN 11AM AND NOON TODAY. RESIDENTS ALONG EASTERN ANDROS FROM BEHRING POINT TO MORGAN’S BLUFF ARE STRONGLY ADVISED NOT TO GO OUTDOORS DURING THIS BRIEF LULL AS THE WORST IS YET TO COME. THE EYE WILL THEN PASS WEST OF THE BERRY ISLANDS AND WEST END GRAND BAHAMA LATER TODAY, AND MOVE VERY CLOSE TO THE EAST COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.
THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY DOPPLER WEATHER INDICATES THAT WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR, THE MOST INTENSE PORTION OF MATTHEW’S EYE WALL WILL BEGIN PASSING OVER NEW PROVIDENCE. THIS PASSAGE IS EXPECTED TO LAST FOR ABOUT 2 TO 3 HOURS. DURING THIS TIME, WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MILES PER HOUR WILL BE EXPERIENCE. RESIDENTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO REMAIN INDOORS AS THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING INJURED BY FLYING DEBRIS IS EXTREMELY HIGH.
REPORTS FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 125 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MATTHEW IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO, AND MATTHEW IS FORECAST TO BE A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOW BEING EXPERIENCED IN NORTH LONG ISLAND, EXUMA, CAT ISLAND, ELEUTHERA AND THE BERRY ISLANDS. BY NOON TODAY, THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD SPREAD INTO GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO AND BIMINI, AND SUBSIDE IN LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND CAT ISLAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE NOW BEING EXPERIENCED IN NEW PROVIDENCE AND SOUTH AND CENTRAL ANDROS AND WILL SPREAD INTO NORTH ANDROS BY 9AM THIS MORNING AND INTO THE BERRY ISLANDS BY NOON.
RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AREAS AND ON COASTAL ROADS SHOULD CONTACT THEIR LOCAL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OR NEMA OFFICE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RELOCATION TO A HURRICANE SHELTER BEFORE THE ONSET OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS.
MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 15 INCHES IN THE BAHAMAS.
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 NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AND SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE PROPERLY SECURED.
THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE MATTHEW WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON TODAY