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Hurricane FRANCES


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HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  34A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 AM AST THU SEP 02 2004
 
...DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR FRANCES POUNDING THE SOUTHEAST
BAHAMAS...HEADING TOWARD THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE BAHAMAS AND
FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. 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 IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST FROM CRAIG
KEY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE.  A
HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN
THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.  HURRICANE WARNINGS
WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF THE WATCH AREA LATER THIS
MORNING. 
 
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE FLORIDA KEYS
FROM SOUTH OF CRAIG KEY SOUTHWARD TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...
INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY.
 
AT 8 AM AST...1200Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 23.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE  73.5 WEST OR ABOUT 80 MILES
...135 KM...SOUTHEAST OF SAN SALVADOR ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS.  THIS
IS ALSO ABOUT 470 MILES...755 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF PALM BEACH
FLORIDA.
 
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...20 KM/HR
...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 
ON THIS TRACK...THE LARGE CORE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE
TO MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS THIS MORNING...AND
NEAR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
 
FRANCES REMAINS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE SCALE.  REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER
AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 145 MPH...
235 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE
EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  80 MILES...130 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 185 MILES...295 KM. SAN SALVADOR IN THE BAHAMAS IS CURRENTLY
REPORTING WINDS TO 52 MPH...83 KM/HR.
 
THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER
IS  939 MB...27.73 INCHES.
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR THE EYE OF FRANCES ON THE WEST SIDE OF ELEUTHERA ISLAND...AND
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND.  STORM SURGE FLOODING OF
4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE WEST
SIDE OF THE OTHER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS.
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE POSSIBLE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES.
 
SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES WILL BE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES.  THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE
DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS.
 
REPEATING THE 8 AM AST POSITION...23.2 N... 73.5 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...145 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
11 AM AST.
 
FORECASTER AVILA

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