ZCZC MIATCDAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM TROPICAL STORM GEORGES DISCUSSION NUMBER 7 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 PM EDT WED SEP 16 1998 THE IR IMAGES THIS EVENING SHOW TWO PERSISTENT CLUSTERS OF STRONG CONVECTION...OCCASIONALLY WITH CLOUD TOP TEMPERATURES LOWER THAN -80C. THE CENTER IS ESTIMATED TO BE LOCATED BETWEEN THE CLUSTERS. OUTFLOW ON THE WEST SIDE REMAINS PARTICULARLY WELL-DEVELOPED AND... WITH DVORAK T-NUMBERS NOW AT 3.0...THE WIND SPEED IS INCREASED TO 45 KT. THE MOTION REMAINS JUST NORTH OF DUE WEST AT ABOUT 17 KT...TO THE SOUTH OF A HIGH DETECTED IN WV IMAGERY. THE LARGE-SCALE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THE SHORTWAVE TROUGHS FARTHER TO THE NORTH WILL CONTINUE BYPASSING GEORGES WITH LITTLE IMPACT ON THE TRACK OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE AT LEAST INTO THE WEEKEND. AS INDICATED BY THE GFDL AND AVN OUTPUT FROM 18Z AND THE NOGAPS FROM 12Z...ONLY A SLOW ROTATION OF THE HEADING FROM WEST TO WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE TRACK GIVEN IN THE OFFICIAL FORECAST FROM 6 HOURS AGO. THE GFDL AND SHIPS INTENSITY FORECASTS BRING GEORGES TO HURRICANE STRENGTH IN ABOUT 36 HOURS WITH FURTHER STRENGTHENING THEREAFTER. THE NHC FORECAST IMPLIES A LITTLE SLOWER RATE OF INTENSIFICATION. RAPPAPORT FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 17/0300Z 11.0N 35.8W 45 KTS 12HR VT 17/1200Z 11.3N 38.3W 50 KTS 24HR VT 18/0000Z 11.6N 41.4W 55 KTS 36HR VT 18/1200Z 12.1N 44.7W 60 KTS 48HR VT 19/0000Z 12.8N 47.7W 65 KTS 72HR VT 20/0000Z 14.5N 53.5W 75 KTS NNNN