The Tribune

The latest from The Bahamas Department of Meteorology on the weather system in the Gulf of Mexico:

ALERT #5 ON POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE ONE, ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FRIDAY, 3rd JUNE, 2022, AT 9:00 AM EDT.

…DISTURBANCE IS MOVING SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO…

…RESIDENTS IN BIMINI, NORTH ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO SHOULD BRACE FOR TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY…

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO, BIMINI, NORTH ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, NEW PROVIDENCE AND NORTH ELEUTHERA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AT 8:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE ONE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.4° DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 86.8° DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 125 MILES NORTH OF COZUMEL MEXICO, 420 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FT. MYERS FLORIDA, 520 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALICE TOWN, BIMINI, 580 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA, AND 615 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE ONE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH TONIGHT, ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA ON SATURDAY AND THEN OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC NORTH OF GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP A WELL-DEFINED CENTER AND BECOME A TROPICAL STORM LATER TODAY. SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE WHILE IT APPROACHES FLORIDA TODAY AND TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS ALSO POSSIBLE AFTER THE SYSTEM MOVES EAST OF FLORIDA AND NORTH OF GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY.

THE POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES, WITH MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 12 INCHES. THIS RAIN WILL PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE FLOODING.

RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, PARTICULARLY BIMINI, NORTH ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING FRIDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH TO SATURDAY NIGHT.