TROPICAL STORM MARIA WARNING STATEMENT
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES
6:00 PM MON, SEP 18, 2017
THIS IS FOR ST KITTS AND NEVIS
…MARIA BECOMES A DANGEROUS CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE……
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT.
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA, IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
AT 5:00 PM (2100 UTC), THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.1 NORTH, LONGITUDE 60.7 WEST, OR ABOUT 202 MILES SSE OF ST. KITTS AND NEVIS. MARIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH (15 KM/H), AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 130 MPH (215 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO NEAR 185 MPH. MARIA IS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL RAPID STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES (35 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 125 MILES (205KM).
THE MINIMUM ESTIMATED CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 950 MB (28.06 INCHES).
BASED UPON THE LATEST TRACK AND ANALYSIS, HURRICANE MARIA IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN A PATH THAT BRINGS THE CENTER WITHIN 75 MILES OF ST. KITTS AND NEVIS TUESDAY MORNING AS A MAJOR HURRICANE. WHILE THIS POSITION PUTS ST. KITTS AND NEVIS OUTSIDE OF SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS; SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE WINDS GUSTING TO HURRICANE STRENGTH. SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS BETWEEN 40-60 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS ARE NOW POSSIBLE. RESIDENTS OF ST. KITTS AND NEVIS SHOULD TAKE ALL THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
MARIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES. 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 OF UP TO 6 FEET ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE SWELLS PEAKING NEAR 25 FEET CAN BE EXPECTED. THEREFORE, MARINERS SHOULD SECURE THERE VESSELS AND RESIDENTS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM COASTAL AREAS.
ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD EXECUTE THEIR STORM PLANS, LISTEN TO OFFICIALS AND MONITOR CLOSELY THE PROGRESS OF MARIA.
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE AT 11 PM ECT.
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