ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER 23 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 AM EDT TUE AUG 25 1998 ...DANGEROUS BONNIE HEADING TOWARDS MID ATLANTIC COAST... ...HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE NOW IN EFFECT... AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FROM MURRELLS INLET SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER... INCLUDING PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SAVANNAH GEORGIA TO MURRELLS SOUND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS DISCONTINUED ALL WARNINGS FOR THE BAHAMAS. INTERESTS IN THE WATCH AND WARNING AREAS SHOULD FOLLOW RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THEIR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.0 WEST OR ABOUT 500 MILES SOUTH OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA. BONNIE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH SOME INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. THE FORECAST TRACK BRINGS THE CENTER NEAR THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND BRINGS TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TO THE COAST ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. IF THE HURRICANE SHOULD MOVE TO THE LEFT OF THE FORECAST TRACK...HURRICANE WARNINGS WILL BE NEEDED FURTHER SOUTH IN THE WATCH AREA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS MAY OCCUR BUT 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 145 MILES FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UPTO 190 MILES. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 963 MB...28.44 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE HURRICANE REACHES THE COAST...WITH WATER LEVELS INCREASING UP TO 9 TO 11 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDAL LEVELS. LARGE SWELLS ARE PROPAGATING WELL AHEAD OF THE HURRICANE AND ARE IMPACTING PORTIONS OF THE U.S. SOUTHEAST COAST. SEE STATEMENTS FROM LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES. REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...28.1 N... 74.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD ...NORTH NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 963 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. LAWRENCE STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC. NNNN