ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER 42 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 5 AM EDT SAT SEP 04 2004 ...FRANCES CONTINUES TO BATTER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A HURRICANE WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO FERNANDINA BEACH. AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS EXTENDED NORTHWARD ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST COAST TO ENGLEWOOD. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT ON THE SOUTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA FROM ENGLEWOOD TO SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY...AND FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...AND FOR FLORIDA BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM NORTH OF ENGLEWOOD TO THE SUWANNEE RIVER. AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.1 WEST OR ABOUT 45 MILES... 70 KM...EAST OF FREEPORT GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 125 MILES EAST OF WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH ...9 KM/HR. A TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE LARGE CORE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS THIS MORNING...AND WILL BE VERY NEAR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST BY LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. FRANCES IS A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FRANCES IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A BORDERLINE CATEGORY TWO/THREE HURRICANE UNTIL LANDFALL. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE MEASURED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 960 MB...28.35 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THE CENTER OF FRANCES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE OTHER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE. ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF THE PATH OF FRANCES. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD REACH 20 INCHES IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS...ARE EXPECTED OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES. SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS. REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...26.6 N... 78.1 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 960 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 EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 AM EDT. FORECASTER FRANKLIN $$ NNNN
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Page last modified: Saturday, 04-Sep-2004 08:42:37 UTC