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Hurricane PALOMA


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HURRICANE PALOMA ADVISORY NUMBER  13
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL172008
1000 AM EST SAT NOV 08 2008

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PALOMA TURNS TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST AND 
TAKES AIM AT CUBA...NEW WARNINGS ISSUED...
 
AT 10 AM EST...1500 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED A
HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF GRANMA AND HOLGUIN AND
DISCONTINUED THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR SANCTI SPIRITUS. A HURRICANE
WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF CIEGO DE
AVILA...CAMAGUEY...LAS TUNAS...GRANMA AND HOLGUIN. PREPARATIONS TO
PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
 
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE
OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...
INCLUDING CAT ISLAND...THE EXUMAS...LONG ISLAND...RUM CAY...AND SAN
SALVADOR.  A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36
HOURS.
 
INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR
THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS
ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 1000 AM EST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 19.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.3 WEST OR ABOUT 130 MILES...
210 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 140 MILES...220 KM
...SOUTHWEST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA.
 
PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...
AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY WITH SOME
DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AFTER LANDFALL.  ON THE FORECAST TRACK...
THE CENTER OF PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE AWAY FROM CAYMAN BRAC THIS
MORNING...AND BE APPROACHING THE COAST OF SOUTH-CENTRAL CUBA LATE
TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY.  
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  PALOMA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON
THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.  SOME SLOW WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING
THE NEXT 24 HOURS...BUT PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A MAJOR
HURRICANE UP UNTIL LANDFALL IN CUBA.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES...35 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115
MILES...185 KM.
 
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 943 MB...27.85 INCHES.
 
LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 17 TO 23 FEET...ACCOMPANIED
BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO
THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER OF PALOMA MAKES LANDFALL ALONG THE
SOUTH COAST OF CUBA.  STORM SURGE FLOODING IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TODAY.  
 
PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO
10 INCHES OVER LITTLE CAYMAN...CAYMAN BRAC...AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN
CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE.  THESE
RAINS MAY PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUDSLIDES.
RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS JAMAICA
AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS
GRAND CAYMAN.  
 
REPEATING THE 1000 AM EST POSITION...19.9 N...79.3 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...EAST-NORTHEAST NEAR 9 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140
MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...943 MB.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 100 PM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 400
PM EST.
 
$$
FORECASTER BLAKE
 
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