WHCA31 TAPA
HURRICANE JOSE WATCH STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
8:00 PM ECT THU, SEP 7, 2017
THIS IS FOR ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
…CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE JOSE IS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS…
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS 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 BEFORE THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS.
AT 800 PM ECT (0000 UTC), THE EYE OF HURRICANE JOSE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.6 NORTH, LONGITUDE 53.2 WEST OR 640 MILES EASTSOUTHEAST OF ST. KITTS AND NEVIS.
JOSE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH (30 KM/H). THE HURRICANE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ON THIS HEADING WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK, JOSE IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS ON SATURDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 120 MPH (195 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS. JOSE IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES (55 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES (185 KM).
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 966 MB (28.53 INCHES).
BASED UPON THE LATEST OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS, HURRICANE JOSE COULD COME VERY CLOSE TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS BY EARLY SATURDAY.
AS A RESULT A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN PLACE FOR ST. KITTS AND NEVIS.
THEREFORE ALL RESIDENTS OF ST. KITTS AND NEVIS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF HURRICANE JOSE AS EVEN A SLIGHT SHIFT IN THE CURRENT TRACK TO THE WEST COULD BRING IT DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE ISLANDS.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING COULD BE POSTED WITHIN THE NEXT 36 HOURS.