Tropical Storm KATRINA

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TROPICAL STORM KATRINA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER   8B
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
3 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2005
 
...KATRINA JUST BELOW HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT MOVES SLOWLY 
WESTWARD ACROSS THE FLORIDA STRAITS TOWARD SOUTHEAST FLORIDA...
...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS NEARING THE FLORIDA COAST...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
COAST FROM VERO BEACH SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY...INCLUDING LAKE
OKEECHOBEE. 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 TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR GRAND BAHAMA
ISLAND...BIMINI...AND THE BERRY ISLANDS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS.
THE WARNING HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. THE WARNING WILL LIKELY BE DISCONTINUED LATER
TODAY OR THIS EVENING.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST-CENTRAL
FLORIDA COAST FROM NORTH OF VERO BEACH NORTHWARD TO TITUSVILLE
...INCLUDING ALL OF MERRITT ISLAND...AND FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
FLORIDA KEYS FROM THE WEST END OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE NORTHWARD TO
SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR
THE FLORIDA WEST COAST FROM FLORIDA CITY TO ENGLEWOOD...INCLUDING
FLORIDA BAY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN
36 HOURS.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 3 PM EDT...1900Z...REPORTS FROM NOAA DOPPLER RADARS AND A NOAA
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM
KATRINA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.2 NORTH... LONGITUDE 79.6 WEST
...OR ABOUT 35 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF FORT LAUDERDALE FLORIDA AND
ABOUT 35 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BOCA RATON FLORIDA.
 
KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR  6 MPH. THIS GENERAL MOTION
IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.  ON THIS TRACK... THE CENTER SHOULD BE
NEAR OR OVER THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA COAST LATER TONIGHT OR EARLY
FRIDAY MORNING.
 
REPORTS FROM A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND NOAA DOPPLER RADARS
INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH...
WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED TODAY AND
TONIGHT...AND KATRINA COULD STILL BECOME A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE
BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF FLORIDA.
 
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  80 MILES
...110 KM FROM THE CENTER. WIND GUSTS TO 37 MPH HAVE RECENTLY BEEN
REPORTED ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREAS OF PALM BEACH AND
BROWARD COUNTY FLORIDA.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY A NOAA
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS  990 MB...29.23 INCHES.
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED
NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA.
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE ALSO
EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS IN THE BAHAMAS. STORM SURGE
VALUES WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE IN THE BAHAMAS LATER TODAY.
 
DUE TO ITS SLOW FORWARD SPEED...KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A
SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT OVER SOUTH FLORIDA...AND THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO
10 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
 
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN FLORIDA AND
THE FLORIDA KEYS.
 
REPEATING THE 3 PM EDT POSITION...26.2 N... 79.6 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR  6 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 70 MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 990 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 5 PM EDT.
 
FORECASTER STEWART
 
 
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