BAHAMAS ON HIGH ALERT AS HURRICANE MATTHEW TURNS, TAKES AIM AT COUNTRY

• MATTHEW CONTINUES MOVING NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.

A HURRICANE ALERT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS.  THIS INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, THE EXUMAS, ELEUTHERA, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI, GRAND BAHAMA AND ABACO.

A HURRICANE ALERT MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS.

AT 5AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 74.1 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 345 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI, 335 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA, 500 MILES SOUTH OF INAGUA AND 800 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

HURRICANE MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AT ABOUT 5 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH TONIGHT.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF MATTHEW WILL APPROACH SOUTHEASTERN HAITI AND JAMAICA ON MONDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150-MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  MATTHEW IS A 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 MONDAY NIGHT.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE PREPARATION FOR HURRICANE CONDITIONS, WHICH COULD BEGIN, TO AFFECT ISLANDS OF MAYAGUANA, INAGUA, CROOKED ISLAND, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS BY LATE TUESDAY WITH TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS POSSIBLE BY EARLY TUESDAY.  RESIDENTS 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 UP TO 25 INCHES OF RAIN AS IT PASSES THROUGH THE BAHAMAS.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD BEGIN TO SEEK SAFE HARBOUR FOR THEIR VESSELS.