ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 20A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 2 PM EDT MON AUG 24 1998 ...BONNIE MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND A A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION OF THE U.S. SOUTHEAST COAST LATER TODAY. INTERESTS ALONG THE COAST SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS LARGE AND DANGEROUS HURRICANE. AT 2 PM EDT...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 72.7 WEST OR ABOUT 650 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAVANNAH GEORGIA AND ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE SOUTH- SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE IS MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWESTWARD NEAR 5 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS MAY OCCUR BUT LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY...AND BONNIE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A POWERFUL HURRICANE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. BONNIE IS A LARGE HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM...MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST OF THE CENTER. AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE RECENTLY REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 963 MB...28.47 INCHES. A STORM SURGE OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS COULD OCCUR OVER PORTIONS OF THE WARNING AREA IN THE BAHAMAS. RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH BONNIE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE BAHAMAS AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF THREE TO FIVE INCHES ARE LIKELY. REPEATING THE 2 PM EDT POSITION...26.2 N... 72.7 W. MOVEMENT... NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...963 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 PM EDT. PASCH STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN