ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 16A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 8 AM AST SAT SEP 19 1998 ...HURRICANE GEORGES BECOMES A MAJOR HURRICANE...HEADING FOR THE LESSER ANTILLES... A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LESSER ANTILLES FROM ST. LUCIA NORTHWARD TO ANGUILLA INCLUDING SABA AND ST. MAARTEN. A HURRICANE WARNING COULD BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION OF THIS AREA LATER THIS MORNING. AT 8 AM AST...1200Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 52.0 WEST OR ABOUT 600 MILES...965 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE HURRICANE WILL AFFECT THE LESSER ANTILLES OVER THE WEEKEND. SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT ESTIMATED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES GEORGES A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES... 55 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 960 MB...28.34 INCHES. REPEATING THE 8 AM AST POSITION...14.6 N... 52.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 18 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 960 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 AM AST. AVILA NNNN