ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM COR BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 25A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM EST TUE OCT 27 1998 ...CORRECTED SECOND PARAGRAPH... ...VERY DANGEROUS HURRICANE MITCH NEARING THE COAST OF HONDURAS... ...BATTERING THE COAST OF HONDURAS AND THE BAY ISLANDS OFFSHORE... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF HONDURAS...GUATEMALA...BELIZE...THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OF MEXICO FROM CABO CATOCHE SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING THE OFFSHORE ISLANDS OF THESE AREAS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS VERY DANGEROUS HURRICANE. AT 7 PM EST...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.6 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES...95 KM..EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE ISLAND OF ROATAN AND ABOUT 45 MILES... 70 KM...NORTH OF THE NEAREST HONDURAS COAST. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 100 MILES...160 KM NORTHEAST OF LA CEIBA HONDURAS. MITCH HAS MEANDERED SLOWLY OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS...AND MAY MEANDER FURTHER TONIGHT. A SLOW SOUTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED IN 12 TO 24 HOURS. HOWEVER...THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE IS COMING VERY CLOSE TO THE COAST AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE SPREADING ONSHORE OVER HONDURAS AND THE ADJACENT BAY ISLANDS. HAM RADIO REPORTS INDICATE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE ON THE ISLAND OF ROATAN. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALTHOUGH SOME FURTHER WEAKENING COULD OCCUR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...MITCH IS STILL EXPECTED TO REMAIN A VERY DANGEROUS HURRICANE. 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. A NOAA AIRCRAFT RECENTLY REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 932 MB...27.55 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 10 TO 20 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. DANGEROUS COASTAL FLOODING FROM STRONG ONSHORE WINDS AND LARGE BATTERING WAVES IS OCCURRING OVER MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN. THE WORST CONDITIONS ARE ALONG THE COAST OF HONDURAS AND THE OFFSHORE ISLANDS. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. REPEATING THE 7 PM EST POSITION...16.6 N... 85.6 W. MOVEMENT... MEANDERING SLOWLY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...150 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 932MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 PM EST. PASCH/MAYFIELD NNNN