Hurricane FRANCES

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HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  27A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2 PM AST TUE AUG 31 2004
 
...POWERFULL HURRICANE FRANCES...WITH 140 MPH WINDS...MOVING
WESTWARD A LITTLE FASTER...
 
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 ISLAND...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. A
HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT 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 WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH COAST OF THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM PUNTA GORDA WESTWARD TO MANZANILLO BAY AND
HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH SOUTH OF PUNTA GORDA.

AT 2 PM AST...1800Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED BY AN
AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE NEAR LATITUDE 20.3 NORTH...
LONGITUDE  65.0 WEST OR ABOUT 140 MILES...230 KM...NORTH-NORTHEAST
OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO.
 
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 16 MPH ...26 KM/HR...AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE
WEST-NORTHWEST. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL BE
PASSING PASS WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE U.S AND BRITISH VIRGIN
ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO LATER TODAY. SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO RADAR
SHOWS RAINBANS APPROACHING PUERTO RICO.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 140 MPH...225
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  THIS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
POSSIBLE 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.
 
A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE JUST MEASURED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF
942 MB...27.82 INCHES.
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE LIKELY OVER
PORTIONS OF PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
FRANCES TODAY.
 
LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG NORTH COAST OF THE
ISLANDS IN THE WARNING AREA.
 
REPEATING THE 2 PM AST POSITION...20.3 N... 65.0 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 16 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 942 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 AVILA
 
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