WHCA31 TAPA
HURRICANE JOSE WARNING STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
5:30 AM ECT SAT, SEP 9, 2017
THIS IS FOR ST KITTS AND NEVIS
..HURRICANE JOSE HEADED TOWARD THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS…
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ST.KITTS AND NEVIS AND THESE WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE DROPPED BY 8 AM THIS MORNING.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 48 HOURS.
RESIDENTS SHOULD HAVE BY NOW COMPLETED ALL DISASTER PREPARATIONS AND RUSH TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER.
AT 500 AM ECT (0900 UTC), THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOSE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.5 NORTH, LONGITUDE 60.3 WEST OR ABOUT 159 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF ST.KITTS-NEVIS.
JOSE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH (20 KM/H). A CONTINUED WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CORE OF JOSE WILL PASS CLOSE TO OR JUST EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS TODAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH (240 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOSE IS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATION IN INTENSITY, UP OR DOWN, COULD OCCUR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. AFTERWARD, GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES (55 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES (220 KM).
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 940 MB (27.76 INCHES).
RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE FORECAST. WITH THIS TYPE OF RAINFALL, RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AND RESIDENTS NEAR SLOPES SHOULD GUARD AGAINST MUDSLIDES.
MARINERS SHOULD STAY IN PORT. SEAS ARE DETERIORATING RAPIDLY AND WILL PEAK NEAR 16 FEET OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS THE STORM PASSES.
ALL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF JOSE CLOSELY AND ACT TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
THE NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED AT 8 AM TODAY