Hurricane FRANCES

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TROPICAL STORM FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  50A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
8 AM EDT MON SEP 06 2004
 
...FRANCES HEADING FOR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...AIR FORCE PLANE FINDS
NO CHANGE IN STRENGTH... 
 
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST GULF COAST
OF FLORIDA FROM ANNA MARIA ISLAND NORTHWARD TO DESTIN.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST
FROM SOUTH OF ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO ENGLEWOOD...AND ALONG THE FLORIDA
EAST COAST AND THE GEORGIA COAST FROM COCOA BEACH FLORIDA NORTHWARD
TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GEORGIA.
 
AT 8 AM EDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCES WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE  83.6 WEST OR ABOUT
110 MILES...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA.
 
FRANCES HAS BEEN DRIFTING NORTHWARD FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS BUT
A GENERAL TRACK TOWARD THE NORTHWEST ABOUT 12 MPH IS EXPECTED
TODAY. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF FRANCES SHOULD CONTINUE MOVING
OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...AND MAKE LANDFALL OVER THE
CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE BY THIS EVENING.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR  65 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. 
SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 12 HOURS...AND
FRANCES COULD BECOME A HURRICANE AGAIN JUST BEFORE LANDFALL OCCURS.
 
FRANCES REMAINS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE
WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200 MILES FROM THE CENTER...ESPECIALLY
TO THE NORTHEAST. CEDAR KEY RECENTLY REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 52 MPH.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE
PLANE WAS  980 MB...28.94 INCHES.
 
COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS
BATTERING WAVES CONTINUE ALONG THE NORTH FLORIDA EAST COAST...BUT
WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE LATER TODAY.   ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
COAST...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF CEDAR KEY. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO
10 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTHEAST
GULF COAST OF FLORIDA TO THE NORTH OF CEDAR KEY...ESPECIALLY AT THE
HEAD OF APALACHEE BAY.
 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS...
ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES...
ESPECIALLY ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF THE WIDE PATH OF FRANCES.
 
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHERN
FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND SOUTHERN
GEORGIA.
 
REPEATING THE 8 AM EDT POSITION...29.1 N... 83.6 W.  MOVEMENT
DRIFTING NORTHWARD.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 65 MPH.  MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE... 980 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 NATIONALHURRICANE CENTER AT
11 AM EDT.
 
FORECASTER AVILA
 
 
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