Sunday 9.00pm update: NEMA has announced that Tropical Storm Warnings have been discontinued and the entire Bahamas has been given the all clear after the passing of Tropical Storm Philippe.

Sunday 11.00am update: A new map (main image) shows the centre of Tropical Storm Phillippe has passed the Bahamas, but a tropical storm warning remains in effect for some islands.

NEMA issued the following statement this morning:

Tropical Storm Philippe is moving away from The Bahamas; But storm warnings remain in effect.

Tropical Storm warnings remain in effect for the Northwest Bahamas, even though Tropical Storm Philippe is moving away from the archipelago.

Moderate to severe flooding can be expected, as Philippe is forecasted to produce heavy rainfall with amounts of 1 to 3 inches over the Northwest Bahamas today (Sunday, October 29).

Brief tornadic activities associated with Philippe are possible over the Northwest Bahamas this morning. Those islands are Eleuthera, Abaco, New providence, Andros, The Berry Islands, Bimini and Grand Bahama.

ALERT #14 ON TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY SUNDAY 29TH OCTOBER, 2017 AT 9 AM.

PHILIPPE IS ACCELERATING AWAY FROM FLORIDA BUT STILL PRODUCING TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, ABACO, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING OR COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AT 8AM, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.6 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGTITUDE 79.0 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES NORTH OF FREEPORT GRAND BAHAMA, 100 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF COOPER’S TOWN 200 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

PHILIPPE HAS ACCELERATED AND IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 32 MILES PER HOUR. THIS GENERAL MOION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF PHILIPPE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE QUICKLY AWAY FROM THE FLORIDA EAST COAST AND THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THIS MORNING, AND THEN MOVE OVER THE OPEN WESTERN ATLANTIC BY THIS AFTERNOON.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 50 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO. HOWEVER, PHILIPPE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE BY TONIGHT, AND TO BECOME ABSORBED BY AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW ON MONDAY.

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

RECENT SHIP OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MILES PER HOUR ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE WATERS IN AND NEAR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THESE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE IN A FEW HOURS AS PHILIPPE RAPIDLY MOVES AWAY FROM THE BAHAMAS.

MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED, AS PHILIPPE IS FORECASTED TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS TODAY.

BRIEF TORNADIC ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PHILIPPE ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THIS MORNING.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AS HIGH WAVES GENERATED BY THIS SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

Saturday 11.30pm update: NEMA has issued the following update on Tropical Storm Phillippe:

Tropical Storm Philippe Forms – Storm watch and warnings remain for The Bahamas

NASSAU, The Bahamas - ALERT #9 ON TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENTOF METEOROLOGY SATURDAY 28TH OCTOBER, 2017 AT 6PM.

DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS INTO TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE.

HEAVY RAINS OCCURRING OVER CENTRAL AND WESTERN CUBA AND SPREADING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS AND SOUTH FLORIDA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, ABACO, NEW, PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

AT 5PM, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGTITUDE 82.6 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HAVANA CUBA, 285 MILES SOUTHWEST OF

ALICE TOWN BIMINI, 340 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST END GRAND BAHAMA AND 360-MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

PHILIPPE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 29 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS EVENING, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. A FASTER MOTION TOWARD THE NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED ON SUNDAY AND CONTINUING INTO MONDAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF PHILIPPE WILL MOVE OFF OF THE NORTHERN COAST OF CUBA AND INTO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA THIS EVENING, AND MOVE ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS OR THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA OVERNIGHT, AND ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SUNDAY MORNING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREAED TO NEAR 40-MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

RESIDENTS IN ELEUTHERA, ABACO, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA SHOULD HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED PREPARATION FOR TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE. RESIDENTS IN BIMINI SHOULD BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE TROPICAL STORM WINDS AT AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD IN WEST END GRAND BAHAMA AT AROUND 2AM ON SUNDAY AND INTO NORTH ABACO AT ABOUT 4AM.

RESIDENTS IN SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND AND THE EXUMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ALL ALERTS ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY ON PHILIPPE.

MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED, AS PHILIPPE IS FORECASTED TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THROUGH SUNDAY.

BRIEF TORNADIC ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PHILIPPE ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT, AS HIGH WAVES GENERATED BY THIS SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS

Saturday noon update: A new map (above) showing the projected path of what is now being named Tropical Depression 18 shows a slight shift to the west.

Friday: A weather disturbance in the Caribbean could become a tropical storm and affect the Bahamas within the next 24 to 36 hours.

“Potential Cyclone 18”, as the system is called, is currently south of Cuba and is expected to cross that island, with the centre of the cone then projected to be between the western Bahamas and Florida.

NEMA has issued tropical storm warnings for some islands and released the following statement:

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, is closely monitoring the potential tropical Cyclone #18, which could develop into a Tropical Storm this weekend (October 28-29).

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology has issued tropical storm watches and warnings for the islands of The Bahamas, with potential flooding in low-lying areas.

ALERT #2 ON POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE #18 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER, 2017 AT 9PM.

A DISTURBANCE IS MOVING NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE AREA LOCATED OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ARE SHOWING SIGNS OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS DISTURBANCE HAS THE POTENTIAL OF DEVELOPING INTO A TROPICAL STORM AND AFFECTING THE NORTHWESTBAHAMAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, WHICH INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF ELEUTHERA, ABACO, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN 36 HOURS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THAT INCLUDES THE ISLANDS OF LONG ISLAND, EXUMA AND ITS CAYS, CAT ISLAND, RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.

RESIDENTS IN SAN SALVADOR, RUM CAY, CAT ISLAND, LONG ISLAND AND THE EXUMAS SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO MAKE PREPARATION FOR POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS.

REGARDLESS OF DEVELOPMENT, MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED, AS THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL WITH AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT, AS HIGH WAVES GENERATED BY THIS SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS COULD AFFECT THE MENTIONED ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS.

AT 8PM, THE CENTER OF THE DISTURBANCE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.8 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 84.5 DEGREES WEST OR ABOUT 380 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF HAVANA CUBA AND ABOUT 677 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

THE SYSTEM IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 6-MILES PER HOUR. A FASTER NORTHWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TONIGHT, FOLLOWED BY A FASTER MOTION TOWARD THE NORTHWEST ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS WESTERN CUBA LATE SATURDAY AND MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40-MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND THE SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO BECOME TROPICAL STORM PHILIPPE TONIGHT OR SATURDAY.

RESIDENTS IN ELEUTHERA, ABACO, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, BIMINI AND GRAND BAHAMA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE IMPACT OF POSSIBLE TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS BEGINNING ON SATURDAY NIGHT.