Hurricane CLAUDETTE
ZCZC MIATCDAT4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM HURRICANE CLAUDETTE DISCUSSION NUMBER 28 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 11 AM EDT TUE JUL 15 2003 CLAUDETTE HAS CONTINUED TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED AS IT APPROACHES THE TEXAS COAST. THE EYE HAS BECOME CLOSED AND CONTRACTED TO 25 NM DIAMETER....WHILE THE CENTRAL PRESSURE HAS FALLEN TO 981 MB. THE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT MONITORING THE HURRICANE REPORTED 80-85 KT FLIGHT-LEVEL WINDS IN THE NORTHEASTERN EYEWALL....WHILE WSR-88D DATA FROM HOUSTON HAS INDICATED WINDS NEAR 90 KT. BASED ON THIS... THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS INCREASED TO 70 KT. PART OF THE EYE AND EYEWALL ARE ALREADY OVER LAND...SO ONLY SLIGHT ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL. AFTER LANDFALL... CLAUDETTE SHOULD STEADILY WEAKEN UNTIL DISSIPATION IN 48-72 HR. NOT MUCH TO TALK ABOUT TRACKWISE. CLAUDETTE IS MOVING 285/9 ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE DEVELOPING RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES. THIS SHOULD CONTINUE A GENERAL WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD MOTION UNTIL THE CYCLONE DISSIPATES. NOTE: AN EYE DROPSONDE FROM THE LAST AIRCRAFT FIX RECEIVED AFTER THE REST OF THE ADVISORY PACKAGE WAS TRANSMITTED REPORTED A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 979 MB. BASED ON THIS...THE MAXIMUM WINDS MAY REACH 75-80 KT IN THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO BEFORE CLAUDETTE WEAKENS OVER LAND. FORECASTER BEVEN FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 15/1500Z 28.5N 96.1W 70 KT 12HR VT 16/0000Z 28.7N 97.6W 45 KT...INLAND 24HR VT 16/1200Z 29.0N 99.8W 30 KT...INLAND 36HR VT 17/0000Z 29.5N 102.3W 25 KT...INLAND 48HR VT 17/1200Z 30.0N 104.5W 20 KT...INLAND DISSIPATING 72HR VT 18/1200Z...DISSIPATED NNNN