ALERT #29A ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, SUNDAY 23RD AUGUST 2020, AT 9 PM EDT.

…LAURA NOW LOCATED OVER EASTERN CUBA…AND…HEAVY RAINS NOW OCCURRING OVER EASTERN CUBA, HAITI AND JAMAICA…

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR INAGUA AND RAGGED ISLAND.

THE ALL CLEAR IS NOW GIVEN FOR THE ENTIRE BAHAMAS.

AT 8 PM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM LAURA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.0 DEGREES NORTH AND LONGITUDE 75.6 DEGREES WEST, OR ABOUT 30 MILES WEST OF GUANTANAMO CUBA OR ABOUT 144 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF INAGUA OR ABOUT 181 MILES SOUTH OF RAGGED ISLAND, OR ABOUT 362 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

LAURA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 21 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF LAURA WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE SOUTHERN COAST OF CUBA TONIGHT AND MONDAY, AND MOVE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. LAURA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUST. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST WHILE LAURA MOVES NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF CUBA TONIGHT AND MONDAY. HOWEVER, STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST AFTER LAURA MOVES OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO, AND LAURA IS FORECAST TO BECOME A HURRICANE LATE TUESDAY OR TUESDAY NIGHT.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDS OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.

SWELLS GENERATED BY LAURA ARE AFFECTING THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST BAHAMAS TOMORROW.
SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION DUE TO MODERATE TO LARGE SWELLS.

RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS CAN RESUME THEIR NORMAL ACTIVITIES.

THIS IS THE FINAL ALERT ON TROPICAL STORM LAURA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY. THE DEPARTMENT WILL ISSUE NEWS ITEMS EVERY 6 HOURS ON LAURA BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT.

ISSUED BY: BASIL A. DEAN