Hurricane FRANCES

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BULLETIN
HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER  22
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM AST MON AUG 30 2004

...FRANCES CONTINUING WESTWARD AS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE...
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING LEEWARD
ISLANDS BY THEIR GOVERNMENTS...ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...ST MAARTEN...
ANGUILLA...NEVIS...ST KITTS...ST EUSTATIUS AND SABA.  ST MARTIN AND
ST BARTHELEMY MAY ALSO BE THREATENED.  A TROPICAL STORM WARNING
MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE
WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  A HURRICANE WATCH MAY BE
REQUIRED FOR SOME OF THESE ISLANDS LATER TODAY.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE BRITISH AND NORTHERN
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS INCLUDING ST THOMAS...ST JOHN AND SURROUNDING
ISLANDS...ALSO FOR THE ISLANDS OF CULEBRA AND VIEQUES.   A
HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN
THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.  A HURRICANE WATCH MAY
BE REQUIRED FOR PUERTO RICO LATER TODAY.
 
AT 5 AM AST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 19.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE  57.3 WEST OR ABOUT  385
MILES... 620 KM...EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.
 
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/HR...AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH SOME INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED
TODAY.
 
REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE
THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 120 MPH...195
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  HOWEVER...SOME STRENGTHENING IS
POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  85 MILES...140 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 125 MILES...205 KM.
 
THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER
IS  958 MB...28.29 INCHES.
 
REPEATING THE 5 AM AST POSITION...19.0 N... 57.3 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 10 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...120 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 958 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 AM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 AM AST.
 
FORECASTER BEVEN
 
 
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