ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM COR BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 15 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 AM EDT SUN AUG 23 1998 ...CORRECTION TO ADD HEADLINE... ...HURRICANE BONNIE MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWEST...COULD THREATEN THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN 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 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 71.7 WEST OR ABOUT 180 MILES ...290 KM...EAST OF SAN SALVADOR ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS. STEERING CURRENTS HAVE WEAKENED...AND BONNIE IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH...10 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF BONNIE WILL PASS A LITTLE TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR ...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES BONNIE A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. BONNIE IS A LARGE HURRICANE WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES... 75 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTENDING OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM... MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 959 MB...28.32 INCHES. A STORM SURGE OF 3 TO 5 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. REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...23.8 N... 71.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 959 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 AM EDT. GUINEY STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN