Hurricane FABIAN
ZCZC MIATCPAT5 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE FABIAN ADVISORY NUMBER 17 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 5 PM AST SUN AUG 31 2003 ...FABIAN BECOMES A DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE... AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE FABIAN WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 54.0 WEST OR ABOUT 500 MILES...800 KM...EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. FABIAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST THEREAFTER. ON THIS TRACK...FABIAN IS FORECAST TO PASS WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS IN A DAY OR TWO. SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT FABIAN HAS STRENGTHENED DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS AND MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE REACHED 135 MPH...215 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES FABIAN A DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WILL REACH FABIAN EARLY MONDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES... 35 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 948 MB...27.99 INCHES. REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...18.2 N... 54.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...135 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 948 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 PM AST. FORECASTER AVILA/MAINELLI NNNN