ALERT #22 ON HURRICANE HANNA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 8:00PM E.D.T. MONDAY 01ST SEPTEMBER, 2008.

….. HANNA CONTINUES ITS ERRATIC BEHAVIOUR… HOWEVER, A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION TOWARD THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY WEDNESDAY ….

HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST

BAHAMAS. THIS INCLUDES CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS AND ITS CAYS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, SAN SALVADOR, ACKLINS AND CROOKED ISLANDS, RAGGED ISLAND, LONG CAY, MAYAGUANA, AND INAGUA.

HURRICANE WARNINGS ALSO REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS

ISLANDS.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT WINDS IN EXCESS OF 73 MILES PER HOUR

COULD BE EXPERIENCED IN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE ALERT IS NOW POSTED FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THAT INCLUDES, NEW PROVIDENCE, GRAND BAHAMA, ABACO, ELEUTHERA, ANDROS, BIMINI AND THE BERRY ISLANDS

A HURRICANE ALERT MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD BE FELT IN THE ALERT AREA WITHIN 60 HOURS.

AT 8:00PM EDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE HANNA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.1˚ DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 72.3˚ DEGREES WEST OR JUST NORTHWEST OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, OR 38 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF MAYAGUANA, 143 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF ACKLINS ISLAND, OR ABOUT OR ABOUT 388 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

HANNA HAS MOVED LITTLE DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS. LITTLE OVERALL MOTION IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 80 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES MAINLY TO THE

NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES FROM THE CENTER.

HEAVY DOWNPOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RAINBANDS OF HURRICANE HANNA WILL GENERATE FLOODING IN THE SOUTHEASTERN ISLANDS AT FIRST AND THEREAFTER SPREAD TO THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN ISLANDS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

LARGE SWELLS WILL BATTER THE COASTLINES OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS, AND THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE SWELLS WILL SPREAD TO THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AS THE STORM SHIFTS TO A WEST TO NORTHWEST TRACK.

RESIDENTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO SECURE THEIR PROPERTIES. SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CACIOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT.

RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS SHOULD PAY STRICT ATTENTION TO ALL NEWS RELEASE ON HURRICANE HANNA.

THE NEXT ALERT WILL BE ISSUED AT MIDNIGHT

PREPARED BY FORECASTER: A.W. ROLLE