Message: Hanna moves away from the Bahamas (As of 2.00 p.m. September 4, 2008)

Event: 
As of 2.00 pm September 4, 2008 a Tropical Storm Warning remained in effect for the central and northwestern Bahamas.

The centre of Tropical Storm Hanna was located near latitude 25.1 north and longitude 74.2 west or about 205 miles (330 km) east of Nassau.

Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph (100 km/hr) with higher gusts. Hanna is a large tropical cyclone with Tropical Storm force winds extending outward up to 215miles (510 km) mainly to the north of the centre.

Prognosis:
Hanna is moving towards northwest near 14 mph (22km/hr) and this motion is expected to continue during the next day or so with a gradual increase in forward speed. However, on this track the centre of Hanna will pass just east of the central and northwestern Bahamas later today.

Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI):
Hanna exited the Turks and Caicos Islands last night. Operations and policy meetings were held today at 10.00a.m and 12.00p.m respectively.

All airports are now open and a number of flights are planned for today and tomorrow to take tourists who were stranded during the passage of Hurricane Hanna off the islands.

PAHO has dispatched a water and sanitation engineer who will arrive tomorrow September 5, 2008 to provide technical assistance.

Bahamas:
Central and Northeastern Bahamas remain on Tropical Storm Warning. Heavy swells and high winds were reported in San Salvador as Hanna passed approximately 76 miles to the East.

Regional Response:
The Regional Response Mechanism (RRM) remains on standby as the threat of Hurricane Ike, a category four Hurricane on the Saffir-simpson Scale approaches.

CDERA will continue to monitor the situation and provide advisories as necessary.

Contact Details: The CDERA CU 24hr contact number is 246 425 0386