ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 23A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 AM EST TUE OCT 27 1998 ...MITCH REMAINS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE...MOVING WEST... AT 7 AM EST...1200 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE IS UPGRADING THE HURRICANE WATCH TO A HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE ENTIRE OCAST OF BELIZE. HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE YUCATAN PENINSULA FROM CABO CATOCHE SOUTHWARD...BELIZE...THE COAST OF GUATEMALA...THE ENTIRE COAST OF HONDURAS...AND FOR SWAN ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. ALL INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE. AT 7 AM EST...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.2 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES...150 KM...NORTH OF THE COAST OF HONDURAS. MITCH IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST...AND DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED...TONIGHT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN 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 917 MB...27.08 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 AM EST POSITION...17.4 N... 85.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...180 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 917 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 AM EST. GUINEY NNNN