Hurricane FRANCES

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BULLETIN
HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER   8
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT THU AUG 26 2004

...FRANCES RAPIDLY STRENGTHENS INTO THE FOURTH HURRICANE OF 
THE 2004 ATLANTIC SEASON...
 
AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 13.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE  46.4 WEST OR ABOUT 1005
MILES...1615 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
 
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH...26 KM/HR. 
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY...WITH A GRADUAL
DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED EXPECTED BY TONIGHT AND ON FRIDAY.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR  80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...
AND FRANCES COULD BECOME A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON FRIDAY.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  15 MILES... 30 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO  80 MILES...130 KM.
 
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS  983 MB...29.03 INCHES.

REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...13.7 N... 46.4 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 80 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 983 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 11 PM EDT.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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