ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM MITCH INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 50A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 7 PM EST WED NOV 04 1998 ...LOCALLY SEVERE WEATHER OVER SOUTH FLORIDA AND THE KEYS... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS...AND FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA SOUTHWARD FROM TARPON SPRINGS ON THE WEST COAST AND SOUTHWARD FROM NEW SMYRNA BEACH ON THE EAST COAST. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN CUBA FROM THE PROVINCE OF MATANZAS WESTWARD INCLUDING THE ISLE OF YOUTH...AND FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. AT 7 PM EST...0000Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.4 WEST OR ABOUT 270 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF FLORIDA. MITCH IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH...AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 45 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...IN A FEW OF THE BANDS OF HEAVIER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WELL EAST OF THE CENTER. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH WERE REPORTED AT KEY WEST A FEW HOURS AGO AND A GUST TO 43 MPH WAS OBSERVED WITHIN THE PAST HOUR. LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES ...370 KM FROM THE CENTER. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 993 MB...29.32 INCHES. STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE WAVES...ARE POSSIBLE NEAR AND SOUTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH MITCH. THESE RAINS ARE SPREADING WELL AHEAD OF THE CENTER AND CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS FLORIDA. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS...AND SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL FLORIDA TONIGHT. TORNADO DAMAGE WAS RECENTLY REPORTED IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER FLORIDA KEYS. A TRACTOR TRAILER WAS OVERTURNED ON THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY IN KEY LARGO...AND POWER HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT OVER PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AS WELL. REPEATING THE 7 PM EST POSITION...23.8 N... 85.4 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 45 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 993 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 10 PM EST. PASCH NNNN