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Matthew expected to bring life-threatening rainfall to Haiti

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At 8:00 PM the National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Matthew is still a Category 4 hurricane and is now 360 miles southwest of Port au Prince, Haiti.

Matthew is drifting toward the northwest near 3 mph and a slow northwestward motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed

are expected Sunday, followed by a turn toward the north on Monday. On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will approach Jamaica and southwestern Haiti on Monday.

matthew-12-trackData from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph with higher gusts. Matthew is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane

Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next couple of days, but Matthew is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through Monday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.

Hurricane conditions are expected to reach the warning area in Jamaica and Haiti on Monday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach these areas by late Sunday, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch areas by Monday night or Tuesday morning, with tropical storm conditions possible by Monday.

Matthew is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 15 to 25 inches over southern Haiti, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 40 inches. Matthew is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 20 inches over eastern Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and eastern Cuba, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches. This rainfall will likely produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides.

Matthew is expected to produce additional rain accumulations of 1 to 2 inches over Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire through Sunday. Matthew is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 2 to 4 inches over

northern Colombia, northwest Venezuela, and western Jamaica, with possible isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches.

The National Hurricane Center will issue the next next complete advisory at 11:00 PM EST.


 

Tropical Storm Matthew

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