ALERT #28 ON HURRICANE ISAIAS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, SATURDAY 1ST AUGUST 2020, AT 6 AM EDT.

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

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE BEING EXPERIENCED OR COULD BE EXPERIENCED SOMEWHERE IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AT 6 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF ISAIAS WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.9 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 77.1 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CONGO TOWN SOUTH ANDROS, 70 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FRESH CREEK ANDROS, 210 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF FREEPORT GRAND BAHAMA AND 80 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

ISAIAS IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH, AND A GENERAL NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST LATE ON SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ISAIAS WILL MOVE ONLAND ANDROS IN THE VICINITY OF FRESH CREEK AT ABOUT 10AM, AND EXIT THE ISLAND JUST SOUTH OF RED BAYS AT ABOUT 2PM TODAY. RESIDENTS IN NORTH ANDROS ALONG THIS PATH WILL EXPERIENCE A BRIEF CALM AND ARE ADVISED NOT TO VENTURE OUTDOORS DURING THIS PERIOD.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY, AND ISAIAS IS FORECAST TO REMAIN A HURRICANE DURING THIS TIME.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES FROM THE CENTER

STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG COASTAL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS.

RESIDENTS IN ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS AND NEW PROVIDENCE WILL EXPERIENCE STRONG TROPICAL STORM TO HURRICANE FORCE CONDITIONS THIS MORNING, SUBSIDING THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS IN WEST GRAND BAHAMA WILL BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE STRONG TROPICAL FORCE WINDS THIS AFTERNOON THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT.

RESIDENTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO REMAIN INDOORS WHILE EXPERIENCING HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. TORNADIC ACTIVITIES ARE POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

SMALL CRAFT IN THE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS & CAICOS SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOUR AND REMAIN IN PORT DUE TO DANGEROUS SWELLS AHEAD, DURING AND AFTER THE PASSAGE OF ISAIAS.

RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO FOLLOW ALL ADVICE GIVEN IN ALERT MESSAGES.

THE NEXT ALERT ON HURRICANE ISAIAS WILL BE ISSUED AT 9AM EDT SATURDAY 1ST AUGUST, 2020.