Hurricane OMAR

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HURRICANE OMAR INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  10A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL152008
800 PM AST WED OCT 15 2008
 
...OMAR BECOMES CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE...MOVING QUICKLY
NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE VIRGIN AND NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AND THE
ISLANDS OF VIEQUES AND CULEBRA.  A HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN
EFFECT FOR ST. MARTIN/MAARTEN...SABA...ST. EUSTATIUS...ST.
BARTHELEMY...THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND ANGUILLA.  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 FOR
PUERTO RICO...AND ALSO FOR THE ISLANDS OF ST. KITTS AND NEVIS.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...IN THIS CASE..WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...AND
MONTSERRAT.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR GUADELOUPE.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 800 PM AST...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OMAR WAS LOCATED
BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT AND NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE
65.2 WEST OR ABOUT 80 MILES...130 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ST. CROIX
AND ABOUT 135 MILES...215 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO
RICO.
 
OMAR IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 17 MPH...28 KM/HR. A
GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT
DAY OR TWO.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...OMAR IS EXPECTED TO MOVE
THROUGH THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS LATE
TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY.
 
REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT
INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 105 MPH...
170 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  OMAR IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE
ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND OMAR IS EXPECTED TO BE A STRONG
CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE BY THE TIME IT REACHES THE NORTHERN LEEWARD
ISLANDS.  ALSO... STRONGER WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN GUSTS...ARE LIKELY
OVER ELEVATED TERRAIN.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES...30 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115
MILES...185 KM.  TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE BEGINNING TO SPREAD
INTO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND SHOULD SPREAD OVER THE LEEWARD ISLAND
DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE
HUNTER WAS 971 MB...28.67 INCHES.
 
OMAR IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES
OVER PORTIONS OF THE NETHERLANDS ANTILLES...WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF
12 INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH MAXIMUM
AMOUNTS OF 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN GUAJIRA
PENINSULA. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH MAXIMUM
AMOUNTS UP TO 20 INCHES...WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PUERTO RICO AND
THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.  THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE
LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES.
 
COASTAL 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 RIGHT OF THE PATH OF OMAR. IN ADDITION...
OMAR IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE LARGE SWELLS THAT WILL AFFECT THE WEST-
AND SOUTH-FACING COASTS OF PUERTO RICO AND THE ISLANDS OF THE
LESSER ANTILLES. THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE BEACH EROSION AND DAMAGE
TO COASTAL STRUCTURES.
 
REPEATING THE 800 PM AST POSITION...16.6 N...65.2 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 17 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...971 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 1100 PM AST.
 
$$
FORECASTER BEVEN
 
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