ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 11 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 AM AST SAT AUG 22 1998 ...HURRICANE BONNIE THREATENS THE BAHAMAS... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. AT 5 AM AST...0900Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH COULD BE ISSUED FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS LATER TODAY. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. BONNIE COULD THREATEN THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. RESIDENTS ALONG THE COAST SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THE HURRICANE. AT 5 AM AST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 69.4 WEST OR ABOUT 120 MILES...195 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF TURK ISLAND. BONNIE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH...28 KM/HR. BONNIE IS EXPECTED TO SLOW DOWN AND MAKE A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE WILL BE PASSING NEAR OR A LITTLE NORTH OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES... 55 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM...MAINLY NORTH OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 987 MB...29.15 INCHES. A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS COULD OCCUR IN THE WARNED AREA. RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH BONNIE ARE BEGINNING TO SPREAD INTO THE WARNED AREA...PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. REPEATING THE 5 AM AST POSITION...22.1 N... 69.4 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 17 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 987 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 AM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 AM AST. RAPPAPORT STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN