ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 5A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM CDT WED SEP 09 1998 ...TROPICAL STORM FRANCES MOVING LITTLE...REMAINS POORLY ORGANIZED... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM HIGH ISLAND TEXAS TO TAMPICO MEXICO. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT FROM HIGH ISLAND TO THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. AT 7 PM CDT...0000Z...THE BROAD AND DIFFUSE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS MEANDERING IN THE VICINITY OF LATITUDE 25.5 NORTH... LONGITUDE 95.0 WEST OR ABOUT 155 MILES...250 KM...EAST OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS. THIS POSITION IS HIGHLY UNCERTAIN SINCE SEVERAL DIFFERENT CENTERS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING WITHIN A MUCH LARGER CIRCULATION DURING THE DAY. FRANCES HAS BEEN MOVING LITTLE DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS BUT THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE SHOULD BEGIN A WEST-NORTHWEST DRIFT WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH... 65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 290 MILES...465 KM FROM THE CENTER MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. AN OIL RIG LOCATED WELL TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER RECENTLY REPORTED GUSTS TO 73 MPH...117 KM/HR. THIS WIND GAGE IS LOCATED ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 998 MB...29.47 INCHES. TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDES...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES...ARE ALREADY AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS COAST. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER COASTAL SECTIONS OF TEXAS DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO. REPEATING THE 7 PM CDT POSITION...25.5 N... 95.0 W. MOVEMENT... NEARLY STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...998 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 PM CDT. AVILA NNNN