HURRICANE MARIA WARNING STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
11:16 AM ECT MON, SEP 18, 2017
THIS IS FOR ST KITTS AND NEVIS
…MARIA RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES INTO A MAJOR HURRICANE…
…THE EYE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING…
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ST. KITTS AND NEVIS A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
AT 1100 AM(1500 UTC), THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.7 NORTH, LONGITUDE 60.1 WEST OR, ABOUT 201 MILES SSE OF ST KITTS AND NEVIS. MARIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH (17 KM/H), AND THIS MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 120 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MARIA IS A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL RAPID STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS, AND MARIA IS EXPECTED TO BE A DANGEROUS MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE LEEWARD ISLANDS AND THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES (30 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 125 MILES.
THE MINIMUM ESTIMATED CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 959 MB (28.32 INCHES).
BASED UPON THE LATEST TRACK AND ANALYSIS, HURRICANE MARIA IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN A PATH THAT BRINGS THE CENTER APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST OF ANTIGUA TUESDAY MORNING AS A MAJOR HURRICANE. WHILE THIS POSITION PUTS ANTIGUA OUTSIDE OF SUSTAINED HURRICANE WINDS; TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS BETWEEN 50-70 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS ARE NOW POSSIBLE. RESIDENTS OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA SHOULD TAKE ALL THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
MARIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE MUDSLIDES ALONG SLOPES AND FLASH FLOODS IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS. RESIDENTS IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD GUARD AGAINST FLASH FLOOD AND RESIDENTS NEAR SLOPES SHOULD GUARD AGAINST MUDSLIDES.
DANGEROUS STORM SURGE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 9 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS. THEREFORE, MARINERS SHOULD STAY IN PORT AND COMPLETE SAFE ANCHORAGE.
ALL RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF MARIA CLOSELY AND TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE AT 5PM ECT.
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