000 WTNT32 KNHC 081148 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE PALOMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 12A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172008 700 AM EST SAT NOV 08 2008 ...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PALOMA STRENGTHENS A LITTLE MORE... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF SANCTI SPIRITUS... CIEGO DE AVILA...CAMAGUEY AND LAS TUNAS. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE OF GRANMA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF HOLGUIN AND SANTIAGO DE CUBA. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS... INCLUDING CAT ISLAND...THE EXUMAS...LONG ISLAND...RUM CAY...AND SAN SALVADOR. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CUBA...JAMAICA...AND THE BAHAMAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 700 AM EST...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST OR JUST SOUTHEAST OF CAYMAN BRAC. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 110 MILES...175 KM... EAST-NORTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 165 MILES...265 KM... SOUTHWEST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA. PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE AWAY FROM LITTLE CAYMAN AND CAYMAN BRAC THIS MORNING...AND BE APPROACHING THE COAST OF CENTRAL CUBA LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY. REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 140 MPH...225 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. PALOMA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE THIS MORNING...WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED LATER TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE EXTRAPOLATED FROM RECENT HURRICANE HUNTER DATA IS 943 MB...27.85 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 7 TO 9 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED NEAR THE CENTER OF PALOMA IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 15 TO 20 FEET IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF PALOMA MAKES LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTH COAST OF CUBA. PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AS WELL AS CENTRAL AND EASTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS MAY PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES. RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS JAMAICA. REPEATING THE 700 AM EST POSITION...19.7 N...79.6 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...943 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1000 AM EST. $$ FORECASTER BEVEN