Hurricane FRANCES

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HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER  11
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
11 AM AST FRI AUG 27 2004

...FRANCES STRENGTHENS INTO A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE...
 
INTERESTS IN THE NORTHERN LESSER ANTILLES AND THE NORTHEASTERN
CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF FRANCES OVER
THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.
 
AT 11 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 15.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE  49.0 WEST OR ABOUT 820 MILES
...1320 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
 
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR. 
A MOTION BETWEEN WEST-NORTHWEST AND NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR
FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. THIS MAKES FRANCES A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND FRANCES COULD BECOME A
CATEGORY THREE MAJOR HURRICANE LATER TODAY.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  15 MILES... 30 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO  90 MILES...150 KM.
 
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS  970 MB...28.64 INCHES.

REPEATING THE 11 AM AST POSITION...15.0 N... 49.0 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...105 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 970 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 5 PM AST.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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