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Hurricane FRANCES


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HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  29A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
2 AM AST WED SEP 01 2004
 
...SEVERE HURRICANE FRANCES HEADING TOWARD THE TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...NEW AIRCRAFT FINDS LITTLE
CHANGE IN STRENGTH...
 
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. 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.
 
FRANCES CONTINUES TO BE TRACKED WITH RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT...
SATELLITE IMAGES...AND DOPPLER RADAR FROM PUERTO RICO. 

AT 2 AM AST...0600Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 21.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE  67.9 WEST OR ABOUT  210
MILES...340 KM...EAST OF GRAND TURK ISLAND.
 
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH...
27 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR
THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  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 REMAIN NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS.  THIS MAKES FRANCES A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE.  WHILE FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE
EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...FRANCES COULD STILL INTENSIFY A
LITTLE MORE BEFORE REACHING THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  70 MILES...110 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 185 MILES...295 KM.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS  939 MB...27.73 INCHES.
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE POSSIBLE
OVER PORTIONS OF PUERTO RICO TONIGHT...AND OVER THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC ON WEDNESDAY.
 
LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF
HISPANIOLA.
 
REPEATING THE 2 AM AST POSITION...21.0 N... 67.9 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST 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.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 AM AST.
 
FORECASTER BEVEN
 
 
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