ZCZC MIATCPAT5 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM EARL ADVISORY NUMBER 4 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 10 AM CDT TUE SEP 01 1998 ...EARL STRENGTHENING...THREATENS THE GULF COAST... A HURRICANE WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION OF THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST LATER TODAY. SATELLITE IMAGES AND DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE PLANE INDICATE THAT AT 10 AM CDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS RELOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.7 WEST OR ABOUT 350 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA. EARL HAS REFORMED TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST OF THE PREVIOUS POSITION AND IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 6 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. EARL COULD BECOME A HURRICANE TODAY OR TOMORROW. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS 999 MB...29.50 INCHES. ALL INTERESTS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TROPICAL CYCLONE. REPEATING THE 10 AM CDT POSITION...25.4 N... 92.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 999 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 4 PM CDT. AVILA STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT5 AND WMO HEADER WTNT75 KNHC. NNNN