000 WTNT33 KNHC 230852 TCPAT3 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM SANDY ADVISORY NUMBER 4 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL182012 500 AM EDT TUE OCT 23 2012 ...SANDY MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWARD... ...EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN... SUMMARY OF 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...13.3N 78.6W ABOUT 345 MI...555 KM SSW OF KINGSTON JAMAICA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH...75 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 360 DEGREES AT 3 MPH...6 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...998 MB...29.47 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... THE GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WATCH FOR JAMAICA...AND HAS REPLACED THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH WITH A TROPICAL STORM WARNING. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * JAMAICA A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * JAMAICA A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * HAITI A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN 24 TO 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS. INTERESTS IN EASTERN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF SANDY. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM SANDY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.6 WEST. SANDY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 3 MPH...6 KM/H. A NORTH TO NORTH- NORTHEAST MOTION WITH SOME INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF SANDY WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER JAMAICA ON WEDNESDAY...AND APPROACH EASTERN CUBA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND SANDY IS FORECAST TO BE A HURRICANE WHEN IT APPROACHES JAMAICA ON WEDNESDAY. TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...150 KM FROM THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 998 MB...29.47 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH JAMAICA TONIGHT OR EARLY WEDNESDAY...WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN HAITI BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. RAINFALL...SANDY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS JAMAICA...HAITI...THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC... AND EASTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 16 INCHES POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THESE RAINS MAY PRODUCE LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...800 AM EDT. NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 AM EDT. $$ FORECASTER BROWN