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Hurricane FRANCES (Text)

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BULLETIN
HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER  28
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM AST TUE AUG 31 2004

...SEVERE HURRICANE FRANCES HEADING FOR THE BAHAMAS WITH 140 MPH
WINDS...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...
WHICH INCLUDES ACKLINS...CROOKED...INAGUAS...MAYAGUANA
AND RAGGED ISLANDS...AND FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH
INCLUDES CAT...EXUMAS...LONG ISLANDS...RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.
 
A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE
WARNING AREA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THE NORTH COAST OF THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM PUNTA GORDA WESTWARD TO MANZANILLO BAY.
 
AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING 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
HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.
 
FRANCES HAS BEEN TRACKED WITH A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT...SATELLITE
IMAGES...AND RADAR FROM PUERTO RICO. AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE
DISTINCT EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.5
NORTH...LONGITUDE  65.9 WEST OR ABOUT 145 MILES... 235 KM... NORTH
OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO.
 
THE FORWARD SPEED OF HURRICANE FRANCES HAS INCREASED AND THE
HURRICANE IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 17 MPH...28 KM/HR. A
TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH A GRADUAL
DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE
HURRICANE WILL BE PASSING NEAR OR OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED 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.
 
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED BY A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 
939 MB...27.73 INCHES.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE STILL
POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS IN
ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES TODAY.
 
LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF
HISPANIOLA. 
 
REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...20.5 N... 65.9 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 17 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH. 
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 939 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 PM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM
AST.
 
FORECASTER AVILA
 
 
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