ALERT #13 ON TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION AT 3.OO PM WEDNESDAY 10TH JULY, 2013.

… AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS WORKING HARD TO FIND A CENTER…

TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.  THESE ISLANDS INCLUDE, INAGUA, MAYAGUANA, ACKLINS, RAGGED ISLAND AND CROOKED ISLAND.  A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THESE ISLANDS INCLUDE EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR AND CAT ISLAND.  A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 48 HOURS.

AT 2:00 PM E.D.T, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CHANTAL WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.5°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 73.0° WEST OR ABOUT 270 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA , OR 368 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRAND TURK, TURKS AND CAICOS, OR 285 MILES SOUTH OF MATTHEW TOWN, INAGUA OR  519 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GEORGE TOWN, EXUMA.

CHANTAL IS RACING WESTWARD NEAR 29 MILES PER HOUR. IF CHANTAL REMAINS A TROPICAL CYCLONE …A TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND NORTHWEST WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. AMORE WESTWARD TRACK IS LIKELY IF CHANTAL DEGENERATES INTO A WAVE.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 45 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  FURTHER WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS DATA FROM A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING CHANTAL SUGGEST THAT THE CYCLONE IS DEGENERATING INTO A TROPICAL WAVE.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

RESIDENTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED ALL PREPARATIONS AND SHOULD EXPECT 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN WHITH THE PASSAGE OF CHANTAL.  RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULD HASTEN TO COMPLETE PREPARATIONS.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS WITHIN THE WATCH AND WARNING AREAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE MOVEMENT OF CHANTAL.

THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT 6:00PM E.D.T.