Hurricane PALOMA

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HURRICANE PALOMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  14A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL172008
700 PM EST SAT NOV 08 2008
 
...MAJOR HURRICANE PALOMA MAKES LANDFALL NEAR SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR
CUBA...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF
CIEGO DE AVILA...CAMAGUEY...LAS TUNAS...GRANMA AND HOLGUIN.
PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO
COMPLETION.
 
AT 7 PM EST...0000 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS HAS
DISCONTINUED THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR LITTLE CAYMAN AND CAYMAN
BRAC.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE
OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO 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 700 PM EST...0000Z...THE CENTER OF MAJOR HURRICANE PALOMA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 20.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.9 WEST OR JUST EAST
OF SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR CUBA...AND ABOUT 45 MILES...70 KM...SOUTH OF
CAMAGUEY CUBA. 
 
PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR...AND
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY WITH A DECREASE IN
FORWARD SPEED AS PALOMA MOVES ACROSS CUBA.  ON THE FORECAST
TRACK...THE CENTER OF PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO BE APPROACHING THE
ATLANTIC COAST OF EAST-CENTRAL CUBA SUNDAY MORNING...AND BE
NEARING THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS LATE SUNDAY OR ON MONDAY.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 120 MPH...195
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  PALOMA IS AN DANGEROUS 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.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 968 MB...28.58 INCHES.
 
POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 TO 20 FEET...
ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED
NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF SANTA CRUZ DEL SUR ALONG THE SOUTH COAST OF
CUBA.  STORM SURGE FLOODING IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS WILL CONTINUE TO
SUBSIDE TONIGHT.
 
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.  RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1
TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS JAMAICA AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS LITTLE CAYMAN AND
CAYMAN BRAC.
 
REPEATING THE 700 PM EST POSITION...20.8 N...77.9 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 10 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...968 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 1000 PM EST.
 
$$
FORECASTER STEWART
 
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