ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 13 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 PM EDT SAT AUG 22 1998 ...HURRICANE BONNIE COULD BE A POTENTIAL THREAT TO THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. 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 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.0 WEST OR ABOUT 230 MILES ..370 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF SAN SALVADOR IN THE BAHAMAS. BONNIE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...20 KM/HR. THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING MOST OF THE DAY SUNDAY WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST THEREAFTER. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF BONNIE WILL PASS A LITTLE TO THE NORTH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 90 MPH...150 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND BONNIE COULD EVENTUALLY REACH CATEGORY THREE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. BONNIE IS A LARGE HURRICANE WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES... 75 KM... FROM THE CENTER. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM...TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER AND ABOUT 100 MILES...160 KM...TO THE SOUTH OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 977 MB...28.85 INCHES. A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS COULD OCCUR IN THE WARNED AREA. RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH BONNIE ARE SPREADING OVER PORTIONS OF THE WARNED AREA...PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS. FIVE TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN MAY OCCUR ALONG THE PATH OF THE HURRICANE. TURKS ISLAND REPORTED 3 INCHES OF RAIN EARLIER TODAY. REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...23.3 N... 71.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 977 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM EDT. AVILA STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN