By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE northern Bahamas is expected to experience Category One hurricane conditions by Sunday from a weather disturbance being monitored by officials.

According to Chief Meteorological Officer Kaylinda Ward-Forbes, this portion of the country will experience similar conditions to those of Hurricane Isaias, which passed over The Bahamas earlier this month.

Weather experts are projecting the disturbance will be a tropical storm when it enters The Bahamas on Sunday, before strengthening into a hurricane as it churns towards Florida.

“It is expected to be in the vicinity of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Inagua area around early Sunday morning, that’s the latest track, which has it around 8am Sunday morning and the National Hurricane Centre is expecting it to become a hurricane sometime early Monday morning.

“At that time it is projected to be just to the southwest of Andros island.”

She continued: “The track has it coming basically either across Inagua or in between that passage between Inagua and Turks and Caicos Islands and it will continue on a west, north-westward path.

“It may clip south Andros passing mainly on the western side and across the Great Bahama Bank into the Florida Keys.”

Residents throughout the country are being advised to closely monitor the progress of this system and to heed local advisories.

On Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis reversed the harsh seven-day lockdown imposed on New Providence a day earlier, which mandated the closure of food stores, water depots, private pharmacies, and gas stations. He said the reversal came after weather experts briefed Cabinet on a possible impending storm and after concerns were raised that residents and businesses were not prepared for a week-long lockdown.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.