Hurricane PALOMA

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HURRICANE PALOMA ADVISORY NUMBER  15
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL172008
1000 PM EST SAT NOV 08 2008
 
...MAJOR HURRICANE PALOMA SLOWS DOWN OVER EASTERN CUBA AS IT
CONTINUES TO LASH THE REGION WITH HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING WINDS...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF
CIEGO DE AVILA...CAMAGUEY...LAS TUNAS...GRANMA AND HOLGUIN.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE
OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...
INCLUDING CAT ISLAND...THE EXUMAS...LONG ISLAND...RUM CAY...SAN
SALVADOR...ACKLINS ISLAND...CROOKED ISLAND AND THE RAGGED ISLANDS.A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR
THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 1000 PM EST...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 20.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.7 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES...
 60 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA AND ABOUT 75 MILES...120
KM...NORTH OF CABO CRUZ.
 
PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 7 MPH...11 KM/HR. THIS
GENERAL MOTION...ACCOMPANIED BY A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED... IS
EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF
PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO BE APPROACHING THE ATLANTIC COAST OF
EAST-CENTRAL CUBA LATE SUNDAY MORNING...AND BE NEARING THE CENTRAL
BAHAMAS SUNDAY NIGHT OR ON MONDAY.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 115 MPH...185
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  PALOMA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.  STEADY WEAKENING IS EXPECTED FOR THE
NEXT DAY OR TWO...ESPECIALLY AS PALOMA MOVES ACROSS CUBA TONIGHT
AND SUNDAY MORNING.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115
MILES...185 KM.  UNOFFICIAL REPORTS FROM AMATEUR/HAM RADIO OPERATORS
AROUND SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR AND IN CAMAGUEY PROVINCE CUBA INDICATE
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 95 MPH...150 KM/HR WITH GUSTS TO 155 MPH...250
KM/HR...MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THE AREA DURING THE PAST COUPLE OF
HOURS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES...
INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE COMMUNICATIONS TOWER HAVING BEEN BLOWN DOWN.
 
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 968 MB...28.59 INCHES.
 
DANGEROUS STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 13 TO 18 FEET...ACCOMPANIED BY
LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR AND TO
THE EAST OF SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR ALONG THE SOUTHEAST CARIBBEAN COAST
OF CUBA.  
 
PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO
10 INCHES OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM
TOTALS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS MAY PRODUCE LIFE-
THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES. FIVE TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS.
 
REPEATING THE 1000 PM EST POSITION...20.9 N...77.7 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 7 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...968 MB.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 100 AM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 400
AM EST.
 
$$
FORECASTER STEWART
 
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