ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE MITCH ADVISORY NUMBER 26 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 10 PM EST TUE OCT 27 1998 ...DANGEROUS HURRICANE MITCH BATTERING THE NORTHERN COAST OF HONDURAS AND THE BAY ISLANDS... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF HONDURAS...GUATEMALA...BELIZE...THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OF MEXICO FROM CABO CATOCHE SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING THE OFFSHORE ISLANDS OF THESE AREAS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS VERY DANGEROUS HURRICANE. AT 10 PM EST...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE MITCH WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.6 WEST OR VERY NEAR THE ISLAND OF GUANAJA. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 35 MILES...55 KM...NORTH OF THE COAST OF HONDURAS. MITCH HAS MOVED LITTLE DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS AND LITTLE MOTION IS LIKELY OVERNIGHT. A SLOW...GENERALLY WESTWARD... MOTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE IS VERY CLOSE TO THE COAST AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER HONDURAS AND THE ADJACENT BAY ISLANDS. HAM RADIO REPORTS INDICATE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ON THE ISLAND OF GUANAJA AND ROATAN. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALTHOUGH SOME FURTHER WEAKENING MAY OCCUR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS... MITCH IS LIKELY TO REMAIN A DANGEROUS HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES... 95 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 933 MB...27.55 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF HONDURAS AND OTHER PARTS OF CENTRAL AMERICA. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. DANGEROUS COASTAL FLOODING FROM STRONG ONSHORE WINDS AND LARGE BATTERING WAVES IS OCCURRING OVER MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN. THE WORST CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE COAST OF HONDURAS AND THE OFFSHORE ISLANDS. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. REPEATING THE 10 PM EST POSITION...16.5 N... 85.6 W. MOVEMENT... NEARLY STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 933 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1 AM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 4 AM EST...WEDNESDAY. PASCH STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT3 AND WMO HEADER WTNT73 KNHC. NNNN