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

A HURRICANE ALERT MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 60 HOURS.

AT 11AM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.3 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 63.1 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 115 MILES WEST OF GUADELOUPE, 150 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAINT CROIX, 650 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, 760 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MATTHEW TOWN INAGUA AND 1100 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

MARIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH, AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE EYE OF MARIA WILL MOVE OVER THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA TODAY AND THEN PASS NEAR OR OVER THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO ON WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 160 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MARIA IS A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, BUT MARIA IS FORECAST TO REMAIN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 OR 5 HURRICANE UNTIL IT MOVES NEAR OR OVER THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS IN INAGUA, ACKLINS, CROOKED ISLANDS, MAYAGUANA, LONG CAY, SAMANA CAY, AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD ENSURE THAT ALL HURRICANE PREPARATIONS ARE IN PLACE AS THEY CAN BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE THE EFFECTS OF HURRICANE MARIA WITHIN THE NEXT 60 HOURS.

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

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE MARIA WILL BE ISSUED AT 3PM TODAY.

ISSUED BY: JEFFREY SIMMONS/MARY BUTLER