ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 20 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 AM EDT MON AUG 24 1998 ...BONNIE MOVING SLOWLY AND ERRATICALLY... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND A A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION OF THE U.S. SOUTHEAST COAST LATER TODAY. INTERESTS ALONG THE COAST SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS LARGE AND DANGEROUS HURRICANE. AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 72.4 WEST OR ABOUT 175 MILES...280 KM...NORTHEAST OF SAN SALVADOR ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS. BONNIE HAS BEEN MOVING VERY SLOWLY AND ERRATICALLY THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS. A SLOW NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS LIKELY TO RESUME LATER TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS MAY OCCUR BUT LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY...AND BONNIE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A POWERFUL HURRICANE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. BONNIE IS A LARGE HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES...325 KM. AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE RECENTLY REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 964 MB...28.47 INCHES. A STORM SURGE OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS COULD OCCUR OVER PORTIONS OF THE WARNING AREA IN THE BAHAMAS. RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH BONNIE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE BAHAMAS AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF THREE TO FIVE INCHES ARE LIKELY. REPEATING THE 11 AM EDT POSITION...25.6 N... 72.4 W. MOVEMENT... SLOW AND ERRATIC. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...964 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 2 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT. PASCH STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN