Hurricane FRANCES

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BULLETIN
HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER  26
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM AST TUE AUG 31 2004

...CATEGORY THREE FRANCES CONTINUING WESTWARD TRACK NORTH OF THE
LEEWARD ISLANDS...
 
AT 5 AM AST...0900Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A
HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND
CAICOS ISLANDS.

AT 5 AM AST...0900Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF ANTIGUA HAS DISCONTINUED THE
TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...ST. KITTS...AND
NEVIS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING LEEWARD
ISLANDS...ST MAARTEN...ANGUILLA...ST. EUSTATIUS...SABA...
GUADELOPUPE...AND ALSO FOR PUERTO RICO...CULEBRA... VIEQUES AND THE
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS OF ST. THOMAS...ST. JOHN AND SURROUNDING
ISLANDS...AND FOR THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ST. MARTIN...
ST. BARTHELEMY...AND ST. CROIX...AND FOR THE NORTHERN COAST OF THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM MANZANILLO BAY EASTWARD TO CABO ENGANO.
 
AT 5 AM AST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 19.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE  62.8 WEST OR ABOUT  125
MILES... 205 KM...NORTH OF ST. MARTIN IN THE NORTHERN LEEWARD
ISLANDS.
 
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 15 MPH...24 KM/HR.  A GRADUAL
TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.  ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL PASS TO THE
NORTH OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS AND VIRGIN ISLANDS TODAY. 
HOWEVER...THE OUTER BANDS OF FRANCES WILL BEGIN AFFECTING THESE
ISLANDS TODAY.
 
REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE
THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS.  SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  70 MILES...110 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 175 MILES...280 KM.
 
THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER
IS  949 MB...28.02 INCHES.
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE LIKELY OVER
PORTIONS OF THE WARNING AREA IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES.
 
REPEATING THE 5 AM AST POSITION...19.9 N... 62.8 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 15 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...125 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 949 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 AM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 AM AST.
 
FORECASTER BEVEN
 
 
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