The Tribune

ALERT #7 ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY WEDNESDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER, 2015 AT 9 PM EDT.

…..HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT FINDS JOAQUIN STRONGER ….

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF THE ABACOS, BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, GRAND BAHAMA, NEW PROVIDENCE. LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS. RESIDENTS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETION PREPARATION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR BIMINI

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDTIONS WILL BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 36 TO 48 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLAND, LONG CAY, THE INAGUAS, MAYAGUANA, AND RAGGED ISLAND BUT EXCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITION CAN BE EXPERIENCED WITH THE MENTIONED AREAS WITHIN 36 TO 48 HOURS.

AT 8 PM EDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 73.0 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 95 MILES EAST OF SAN SALVADOR OR ABOUT 80 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAMANA CAYS, 215 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GOVERNOR’S HARBOUR ELEUTHERA AND ABOUT 286 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

HURRICANE JOAQUIN HAS BEEN DRIFTING SOUTHWARDS DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS, BUT A GENERAL MOTION TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH IS EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH IS FORECAST THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY. ON THIS FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF JOAQUIN IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY, AND BE NEAR OR OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 105 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS, AND JOAQUIN COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

JOAQUIN IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE 10 TO 15 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS, AND 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST AND SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS…ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THIS RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS. SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 125 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

AGAIN, RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREAS SHOULD RUSH TO COMPLETE PREPARATION FOR THE IMPACT OF JOAQUIN WHICH INCLUDES SEVERE FLOODING.

RESIDENTS IN THE TROPOICAL STORM AREAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS HURRICANE.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AS LARGE SWELLS AND BATTERING WAVES WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE JOAQUIN WILL BE ISSUED AT 12 MIDNIGHT EDT.