ALERT #9 ON TROPICAL STORM NICOLE ISSUED AT 3PM, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010, BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO, BIMINI AND THE BERRY ISLANDS, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, ELEUTHERA, CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR AND GREAT EXUMA AND ITS CAYS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS. AT 3 PM, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM NICOLE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.5 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 80.6 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 192 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SOUTH BIMINI, 233 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE AND 197 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ANDROS TOWN, ANDROS. NICOLE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MILES PER HOUR. A CONTINUED MOTION BETWEEN NORTH AND NORTH-NORTHEAST ACCOMPANIED BY A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

ON THIS FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF NICOLE WILL MOVE OVER THE FLORIDA STRAITS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS TONIGHT. RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TODAY WITH A DECREASE IN ACTIVITY EXPECTED ON THURSDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS BEFORE MERGING WITH A FRONTAL ZONE ON THURSDAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 345 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS SHOULD TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTION AS HEAVY DOWNPOURS, TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS, LOCALIZED FLOODING IN LOW-LYING AREAS ARE EXPECTED. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE AVOIDED AND ALL EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE TO SECURE ITEMS THAT CAN BE DESTROYED BY WIND AND WATER

PERSONS LIVING ALONG THE SOUTHERN COASTS IN THE BAHAMAS; ESPECIALLY THE MARSHALL ROAD AND THE SOUTH BEACH AREA IN NEW PROVIDENCE CAN EXPECT SOME FLOODING DUE TO STORM SURGE AND SHOULD TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID FLOODING OF RESIDENCES AND VEHICLES.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT 6PM TODAY

BAHAMAS PUBLIC FORECAST  

6AM FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010. 

WARNINGS: A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI, ABACO, THE BERRYS, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, ELEUTHERA, CAT ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR. 

GENERAL SITUATION: RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION SIXTEEN WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE BAHAMAS TODAY WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. 

FOR ALL AREAS: 

WEATHER: MOSTLY CLOUDY TO OVERCAST AND WINDY WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME HEAVY AT TIMES...LIKELY CAUSING SOME FLOODING IN LOW-LYING AREAS. 

ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. 

WINDS: SOUTHERLY AT 20 TO 30 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR GALE FORCE AND SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS; WINDS WILL GUST HIGHER IN HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. 

SEAS RUNNING: 8 TO 12 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 6 TO 9 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. 
 

DAYTIME HIGH TEMP: 85°F 29°C

OVERNIGHT LOW TEMP: 77°F 25°C 
 

SUNRISE:07:01AM. SUNSET:06:59PM

MOONSET: 12:34PM. MOONRISE:11:21PM

HIGH TIDE: 12:23PM. LOW TIDE:06:54PM 
 

EXTENDED FORECAST: POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM NICOLE WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY WHILE A COLD FRONT SWINGS THROUGH THE ISLANDS GENERATING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH FRIDAY. 

FORECAST FOR THURSDAY:

WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE.

WINDS: SOUTH-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS.

SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET OVER THE OCEAN. 

FORECAST FOR FRIDAY:

WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY AND BREEZY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE.

WINDS: WEST TO NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.

SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET OVER THE OCEAN. 

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: SEE NEWS ALERT ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION SIXTEEN...A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED 75 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLAND HAS ABOUT A 10 PERCENT CHANCE OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES WESTWARDS AT 15 TO 20 MILES PER HOUR...ELSEWHERE TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

BAHAMAS MARINE FORECAST  
 

MARINE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS FOR 24 HOURS FROM 6AM, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2010, ISSUED BY NASSAU METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE AT 6:00 AM. 

WARNINGS: A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI, ABACO, THE BERRYS, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, ELEUTHERA, CAT ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR. 

GENERAL SITUATION: RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION SIXTEEN WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE BAHAMAS TODAY WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. 

FOR ALL AREAS: 

ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT. 

WINDS: SOUTHERLY AT 20 TO 30 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS WITH GUSTS TO NEAR GALE FORCE AND SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. WINDS WILL GUST HIGHER IN HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. 

SEAS RUNNING: 8 TO 12 FEET OVER THE OCEAN IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 6 TO 9 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS. 

WEATHER: WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS; SOME HEAVY AT TIMES. 
 

SUNRISE: 7:01AM. SUNSET: 6:59PM

MOONSET: 12:34PM. MOONRISE:11:21PM

HIGH TIDE: 12:23PM. LOW TIDE: 6:54PM 

EXTENDED FORECAST: POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM NICOLE WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY WHILE A COLD FRONT SWINGS THROUGH THE ISLANDS GENERATING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH FRIDAY. 

FORECAST FOR THURSDAY:

WINDS: SOUTH-SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS.

SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.

WEATHER: SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. 

FORECAST FOR FRIDAY:

WINDS: WEST TO NORTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.

SEAS: 3 TO 5 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.

WEATHER: CHANCE OF A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. 

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: SEE NEWS ALERT ON TROPICAL DEPRESSION SIXTEEN. A TROPICAL WAVE LOCATED 75 MILES EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLAND HAS ABOUT A 10 PERCENT CHANCE OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES WESTWARDS AT 15 TO 20 MILES PER HOUR. ELSEWHERE TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.