Hurricane FRANCES
ZCZC MIATCPAT1 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER 48 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 5 PM EDT SUN SEP 05 2004 ...FRANCES HEADING FOR THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...COULD REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH... AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN EXTENDED SOUTHWARD FROM THE MOUTH OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER TO ANNA MARIA ISLAND. A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA FROM ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO DESTIN. AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM NORTH OF JUPITER INLET NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...ALL WARNINGS FROM JUPITER INLET SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA...ON THE WEST COAST...FROM SOUTH OF ANNA MARIA ISLAND SOUTHWARD AROUND THE PENINSULA TO OCEAN REEF...AND FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS... INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY AND THE DRY TORTUGAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO ALTAMAHA SOUND. AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS LOCATED BY RADAR AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS NEAR LATITUDE 28.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 82.2 WEST OR ABOUT 20 MILES EAST OF TAMPA FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE CENTER OF FRANCES SHOULD MOVE OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO LATER TONIGHT OR EARLY MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH GUSTS BUT FRANCES COULD REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM FROM THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE FROM SURFACE OBSERVATIONS IS 975 MB...28.79 INCHES. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES CONTINUE ALONG THE NORTH FLORIDA EAST COAST BUT SHOULD GRADUALLY SUBSIDE. 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 SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTHEAST GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS... TO NEAR 20 INCHES...ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTH FLORIDA TODAY. REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...28.0 N... 82.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 70 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 975 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 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM EDT. FORECASTER AVILA $$ NNNN