ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 13A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 8 PM EDT SAT AUG 22 1998 ...HURRICANE BONNIE CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN...COULD BE A POTENTIAL THREAT TO THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. AT 8 PM EDT...0000Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS DOWNGRADED THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING. THE HURRICANE WARNING IS DISCONTINUED FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. BONNIE COULD THREATEN THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. RESIDENTS ALONG THE COAST SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE HURRICANE. AT 8 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.2 WEST OR ABOUT 210 MILES..335 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF SAN SALVADOR ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS. BONNIE HAS MOVED LITTLE DURING THE PAST THREE HOURS...BUT IS EXPECTED TO RESUME A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TRACK NEAR 10 TO 12 MPH. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING MOST OF THE DAY SUNDAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST THEREAFTER. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF BONNIE WILL PASS A LITTLE TO THE NORTH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 95 MPH...155 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND BONNIE COULD EVENTUALLY REACH CATEGORY THREE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. BONNIE IS A LARGE HURRICANE WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES... 75 KM... FROM THE CENTER. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM...TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER AND ABOUT 100 MILES...160 KM...TO THE SOUTH OF THE CENTER. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 965 MB...28.50 INCHES. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN CENTRAL PRESSURE. A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS COULD OCCUR IN THE WARNED AREA. RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH BONNIE ARE SPREADING OVER PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA...PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. FIVE TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN MAY OCCUR ALONG THE PATH OF THE HURRICANE. TURKS ISLAND REPORTED 3 INCHES OF RAIN EARLIER TODAY. REPEATING THE 8 PM EDT POSITION...23.4 N...71.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST 10 TO 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...95 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 965 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 PM EDT. MAYFIELD NNNN