ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 31A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 AM EST THU OCT 29 1998 ...MITCH STATIONARY NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF HONDURAS...HEAVY RAIN THREAT CONTINUES... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF HONDURAS...GUATEMALA...BELIZE...AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OF MEXICO FROM CABO CATOCHE SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING THE OFFSHORE ISLANDS OF THESE AREAS. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DANGEROUS HURRICANE. AT 7 AM EST...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.7 WEST...JUST OFF THE COAST OF HONDURAS...OR ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF TRUJILLO HONDURAS. MITCH HAS MOVED LITTLE DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS AND LITTLE OVERALL MOTION IS LIKELY THE REMAINDER OF THIS MORNING...KEEPING THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE VERY NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF HONDURAS. MITCH IS EXPECTED TO RESUME A GENERAL WEST TO WEST-NORTHWEST MOTION LATER TODAY. MITCH IS LIKLEY TO REMAIN A THREAT TO THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR ...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES... 45 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 AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 987 MB...29.15 INCHES. ADDITIONAL 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. STORM TIDES OF 4 TO 8 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES. DANGEROUS COASTAL FLOODING DUE TO STRONG ONSHORE WINDS AND WAVES IS ALSO OCCURRING OVER OTHER COASTAL LOCATIONS IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. REPEATING THE 7 AM EST POSITION...16.0 N... 85.7 W. MOVEMENT... ...STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 80 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 987 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 AM EST. GUINEY NNNN