ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 27A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1 AM AST TUE SEP 22 1998 ...DANGEROUS HURRICANE GEORGES STILL POUNDING PUERTO RICO... ...EYE MOVES OFFSHORE OVER MONA PASSAGE... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE U.S. AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS...PUERTO RICO...THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...HAITI...THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN CUBA FROM THE PROVINCE OF LAS TUNAS EASTWARD TO GUANTANAMO. INTERESTS IN THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS SHOULD MAINTAIN PRECAUTIONS UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 1 AM AST...0500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 67.5 WEST. THIS POSITION IS JUST OFFSHORE ABOUT 25 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF MAYAGUEZ PUERTO RICO. OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS GEORGES HAS BEEN MOVING WESTWARD. A MOTION TOWARD THE WEST OR WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH IS EXPECTED TO TODAY. REMEMBER...IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO FOCUS ON THE PRECISE FORECAST TRACK SINCE THE HURRICANE IS NOT A POINT AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND RAINS COVER A WIDE SWATH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 150 MPH ARE POSSIBLE OVER HIGHER TERRAIN. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN WIND SPEED ARE POSSIBLE...BUT GEORGES IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A DANGEROUS HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 978 MB...28.88 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES... ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE CENTER. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE COASTS IN THE WARNING AREA. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH GEORGES. REPEATING THE 1 AM AST POSITION...18.1 N... 67.5 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...110 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 978 MB. THE NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 3 AM AST. THE NEXT COMPLETE WILL BE ISSUED AT 5 AM AST. LAWRENCE NNNN