ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM COR BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 17A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 2 PM AST SAT SEP 19 1998 ..COR FOR TIME ...RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT CONFIRMS THAT GEORGES IS A MAJOR HURRICANE... A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LESSER ANTILLES FROM ST. LUCIA NORTHWARD AND THEN NORTHWESTWARD TO THE BRITISH AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. HURRICANE WARNING COULD BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION OF THIS AREA LATER TODAY. A HURRICANE WATCH MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED WESTWARD. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PUERTO RICO ADVISES THAT SMALL CRAFT AROUND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...CULEBRA AND VIEQUES SHOULD NOT VENTURE FAR FROM PORT. AT 2 PM AST...1800Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 53.5 WEST OR ABOUT 510 MILES... 820 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. GEORGES HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH ...30 KM/HR...DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS. A GENERAL WEST TO WEST- NORTHWEST TRACK IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TROUGH SUNDAY. ON THIS TRACK...THE HURRICANE WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE LESSER ANTILLES ON SUNDAY. PRELIMINARY REPORTS FROM THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES... 75 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY THE AIR FORCE PLANE WAS 949 MB...28.02 INCHES. REPEATING THE 2 PM AST POSITION...15.4 N... 53.5 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 949 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 PM AST. AVILA NNNN