ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 17A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM EST SUN OCT 25 1998 ...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE MITCH MOVING WESTWARD... A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. INTERESTS IN JAMAICA SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE COLOMBIAN TERRITORIAL ISLANDS LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN SEA. A HURRICANE WARNING MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF HONDURAS TONIGHT. THE HURRICANE WATCH FOR EASTERN CUBA HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. AT 7 PM EST...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.4 WEST OR ABOUT 195 MILES...310 KM...SOUTH OF GRAND CAYMAN ISLAND. MITCH IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH SOME SLOWING OF THE FORWARD SPEED ON MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MITCH IS A STRONG CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING COULD OCCUR TONIGHT OR MONDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES...230 KM. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 924 MB...27.29 INCHES. OUTER RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HURRICANE ARE AFFECTING JAMAICA AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES...WITH GREATER AMOUNTS OVER HIGHER TERRAIN...ARE POSSIBLE. THIS COULD CAUSE DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. COASTAL FLOODING FROM ONSHORE WINDS AND HIGH WAVES ARE OCCURRING ALONG PORTIONS OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS COASTS. COASTAL FLOODING SHOULD SOON BE SUBSIDING ALONG THE COAST OF JAMAICA. ALL INTERESTS IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS VERY DANGEROUS HURRICANE. REPEATING THE 7 PM EST POSITION...16.5 N... 81.4 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...150 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 924 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 PM EST. PASCH NNNN