Hurricane ISABEL
ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE ISABEL ADVISORY NUMBER 26 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 11 AM AST FRI SEP 12 2003 ...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE ISABEL CONTINUES WESTWARD... AT 11 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 57.8 WEST OR ABOUT 370 MILES...600 KM...NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS. ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MPH...260 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES ISABEL A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AS ARE COMMON IN MAJOR HURRICANES. NOAA AND AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WILL INVESTIGATE ISABEL THIS AFTERNOON. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 924 MB...27.29 INCHES. LARGE OCEAN SWELLS AND DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OVER PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND PUERTO RICO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. REPEATING THE 11 AM AST POSITION...21.6 N... 57.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...160 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 924 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 PM AST. FORECASTER BEVEN NNNN