ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE KARL ADVISORY NUMBER 17 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 PM AST SUN SEP 27 1998 ...KARL WEAKENING RAPIDLY...TO PASS NORTH OF THE AZORES... AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 39.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 37.3 WEST OR ABOUT 560 MILES...900 KM...WEST OF THE AZORES ISLANDS. KARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST NEAR 38 MPH...61 KM/HR... AND THIS DIRECTION OF MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A GRADUAL FURTHER INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR ...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FURTHER WEAKENING IS FORECAST TONIGHT AND MONDAY. KARL IS LOSING ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND WILL LIKELY BE DECLARED EXTRATROPICAL SOON. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES... 55 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 984 MB...29.06 INCHES. REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...39.8 N... 37.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD ...EAST NORTHEAST NEAR 38 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 80 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 984 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 PM AST. RAPPAPORT STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT1 AND WMO HEADER WTNT71 KNHC. NNNN