HURRICANE JOSE WATCH STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
5:46 PM ECT FRI, SEP 8, 2017
THIS IS FOR ST KITTS AND NEVIS
..JOSE DRAWS NEAR…
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ST KITTS AND NEVIS.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA, GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS.
AT 500 PM ECT, THE EYE OF HURRICANE JOSE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 NORTH, LONGITUDE 58.3 WEST, OR 276 MILES EAST OF ST KITTS AND NEVIS.
JOSE IS MOVING TOWARDS THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH (28 KM/H). A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS FORECAST TONIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH (240 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATION IN INTENSITY, UP OR DOWN, COULD OCCUR DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER THAT.
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). BASED UPON THE LATEST OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS, JOSE IS EXPECTED TO PASS WELL TO THE NORTHEAST OF ST KITTS AND NEVIS. BUT ANY SHIFT OF ITS CURRENT MOVEMENT TO THE WEST COULD BRING STRONGER TROPICAL FORCE WINDS CLOSER TO THE ISLAND.
RAINFALL TOTALS OF UP TO 6 INCHES ARE FORECATED AND WITH THIS TYPE OF RAINFALL, RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD GUARD AGAINST FLASH FLOODING AND RESIDENTS NEAR SLOPES SHOULD GUARD AGAINST MUDSLIDES.
MARINERS SHOULD COMPLETE SAFE ANCHORAGE. SEAS ARE ALREADY DETERIORATING WILL PEAK NEAR 10 FEET IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS THE STORM DRAWS NEAR.
ALL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF JOSE CLOSELY.