ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 27A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 AM EST WED OCT 28 1998 ...HURRICANE MITCH WEAKENS TO A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE...CONTINUES LASHING THE NORTHERN COAST OF HONDURAS AND THE BAY ISLANDS... 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 AM EST...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.6 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES...50 KM ...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE ISLAND OF GUANAJA...AND ABOUT 30 MILES... 50 KM...NORTH OF THE COAST OF HONDURAS. MITCH HAS MOVED LITTLE DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS AND LITTLE MOTION IS LIKELY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS MORNING. A SLOW ...GENERALLY WESTWARD...MOTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER TODAY. HOWEVER THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE COAST AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER HONDURAS AND THE ADJACENT BAY ISLANDS. HAM RADIO REPORTS INDICATE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ON THE ISLAND OF GUANAJA AND ROATAN. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 120 MPH...200 KM/HR ...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MITCH IS NOW A CATEGORY 3 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ALTHOUGH SOME FURTHER WEAKENING MAY OCCUR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS... MITCH IS LIKELY TO REMAIN A 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. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE U.S. AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 949 MB...28.02 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 15 TO 25 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS... 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 OCCURRING ALONG THE COAST OF HONDURAS AND THE OFFSHORE ISLANDS. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. REPEATING THE 4 AM EST POSITION...16.4 N... 85.6 W. MOVEMENT... STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 949 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 AM EST. GUINEY NNNN