ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM COR BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 16A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 1 PM EST SUN OCT 25 1998 CORRECTION TO TIME ...POWERFUL MITCH CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR JAMAICA AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND FOR EASTERN CUBA FROM CAMAGUEY TO GUANTANAMO. A HURRICANE WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS LATER TODAY. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE COLOMBIAN TERRITORIAL ISLANDS LOCATED IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA. AT 1 PM EST...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.3 WEST OR ABOUT 210 MILES ...340 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN ISLAND. MITCH IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH ...11 KM/HR... AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 145 MPH...235 KM/HR ...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MITCH IS A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME ADDITION STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE 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 145 MILES...230 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 929 MB...27.43 INCHES. OUTER RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HURRICANE ARE AFFECTING JAMAICA AND COULD BRING 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN...GREATER AMOUNTS IN HIGHER TERRAIN...OVER THE ISLAND IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. THIS COULD LEAD TO DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. THESE OUTER BANDS COULD REACH THE CAYMAN ISLANDS TODAY. COASTAL FLOODING FROM ONSHORE WINDS AND HIGH WAVES ARE OCCURRING ALONG PORTIONS OF THE JAMAICAN COAST. ALL INTERESTS IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DANGEROUS HURRICANE. REPEATING THE 1 PM EST POSITION...16.4 N... 80.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 929 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 4 PM EST. LAWRENCE NNNN