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Hurricane FRANCES


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HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  28A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 PM AST TUE AUG 31 2004

...DANGEROUS HURRICANE FRANCES HEADING TOWARD THE TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...
WHICH INCLUDES ACKLINS...CROOKED...INAGUAS...MAYAGUANA
AND RAGGED ISLANDS...AND FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH
INCLUDES CAT...EXUMAS...LONG ISLANDS...RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR.
 
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 IN THE
WARNING AREA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THE NORTH COAST OF THE
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM PUNTA GORDA WESTWARD TO MANZANILLO BAY.
 
FRANCES CONTINUES TO BE TRACKED WITH RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT...
SATELLITE IMAGES...AND DOPPLER RADAR FROM PUERTO RICO.  AT 8 PM
AST...0000Z...THE DISTINCT EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 20.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE  66.3 WEST OR ABOUT 150
MILES...245 KM...NORTH OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO.  THIS IS ALSO ABOUT
315 MILES...505 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND TURK ISLAND.
 
FRANCES IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...24
KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.  ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL BE
PASSING NEAR OR OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...AND THE
SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  THIS MAKES FRANCES A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE
EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  70 MILES...110 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 175 MILES...280 KM.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED BY A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
REMAINS AT 939 MB...27.73 INCHES.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE STILL
POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS IN
ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES TONIGHT.
 
LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF
HISPANIOLA. 
 
REPEATING THE 8 PM AST POSITION...20.6 N... 66.3 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...
140 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 939 MB.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 11 PM AST.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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