Tropical Storm Erika Potential Threat to Bahamas

Tropical Storm Erika Prompts Watches For Leeward Islands; Potential Threat to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Hispanola, Bahamas

• Tropical Storm Erika formed late Monday night about 730 miles east of the Leeward Islands.
• Erika is expected to remain a tropical storm and slowly gather strength as it moves quickly to the west.
• The northern Leeward Islands may feel tropical storm-force winds by late Wednesday night into early Thursday.
• Erika's future track and intensity beyond Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands is highly uncertain, and may involve a track near the Bahamas this weekend and possibly parts of the Southeast U.S. coast next week.

NEWS ITEM

NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM ERIKA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT NOON TUESDAY 25^TH AUGUST 2015.

…ERIKA SHOWING LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH AT THIS TIME …

AT 11:00 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM ERIKA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.2° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 51.0° WEST OR ABOUT 730 MILES EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.

ERIKA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT NEAR 20 MPH AND A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ERIKA WILL BE NEAR THE LEEWARD ISLANDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR (MPH) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF THIS SYSTEM AS ERIKA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT THE ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS.

 

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6:00 PM.

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Due to Erika's fast movement, it's already forecast to arrive in the northern Leeward islands Wednesday night or early Thursday with potential tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain, prompting tropical storm watches to be issued early Tuesday morning for Montserrat, Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Aguilla, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, Guadeloupe, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy.