NASSAU, The Bahamas - ALERT #15 ON TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY MONDAY 25TH AUGUST 2014 AT 12:00 PM EDT.

….. CRISTOBAL MOVING ERRATICALLY NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD…HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS…

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR, HOWEVER A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.

AT 11:00 AM EDT THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.6 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 72.7 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 119 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF SAN SALVADOR, ABOUT 168 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF CAT ISLAND AND 292 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU.

TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 2 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS FORECAST ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF CRISTOBAL IS FORECAST TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS THROUGH TUESDAY AND PASS WEST OF BERMUDA ON WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND CRISTOBAL COULD BECOME A HURRICANE ON WEDNESDAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES …PRIMARILY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.

CRISTOBAL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS, AS WELL AS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS AROUND 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.

RESIDENTS IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND GUSTY WINDS OF UP TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE. SMALL BOATERS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WEATHER SUBSIDES.

THIS IS THE LAST ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL AND ALL FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE COVERED IN NEWS ITEMS.