ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 21A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM EST MON OCT 26 1998 ...EYE OF CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE MITCH MOVING OVER SWAN ISLAND... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE COAST OF HONDURAS... AND FOR SWAN ISLAND. A HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR BELIZE. A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. INTERESTS ON THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF GUATEMALA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA AND ELSEWHERE IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE. AT 7 PM EST...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 83.8 WEST OR VERY NEAR SWAN ISLAND. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 110 MILES...175 KM...NORTH OF THE COAST OF HONDURAS. MITCH IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR... AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 180 MPH...285 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY MAY OCCUR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...BUT MITCH IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE CAPABLE OF CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES... 95 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 906 MB...26.75 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF HONDURAS AND OTHER PARTS OF CENTRAL AMERICA. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE LIKELY IN THE OUTER RAINBANDS AFFECTING THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND COASTAL AREAS OF THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN. COASTAL FLOODING FROM STRONG ONSHORE WINDS AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES IS OCCURRING OVER THE COAST OF HONDURAS...SWAN ISLAND AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. REPEATING THE 7 PM EST POSITION...17.3 N... 83.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 180 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 906 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 PM EST. PASCH NNNN