ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM ALEX ADVISORY NUMBER 7 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 PM AST TUE JUL 28 1998 ...FIRST TROPICAL STORM OF SEASON FORMS OVER CENTRAL TROPICAL ATLANTIC... SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATE THAT TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE HAS STRENGTHENED OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS...AND IS NOW TROPICAL STORM ALEX. AT 11 PM AST...0300Z...THE CENTER OF THE TROPICAL STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 37.8 WEST OR ABOUT 1425 MILES...2300 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. ALEX IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 21 MPH...33 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND SLOWER PACE IS EXPECTED BY LATE WEDNESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE ESTIMATED NEAR 40 MPH... 65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM FROM THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1005 MB...29.68 INCHES. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 AM AST...WEDNESDAY. RAPPAPORT STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT1 AND WMO HEADER WTNT71 KNHC. NNNN