000 WTNT25 KNHC 201439 TCMAT5 HURRICANE MARIA FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 18 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL152017 1500 UTC WED SEP 20 2017 CHANGES IN WATCHES AND WARNINGS WITH THIS ADVISORY... THE GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR ST. MARTIN AND ST. BARTHELEMY. THE GOVERNMENT OF ST. MAARTEN HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH FOR ST. MAARTEN. THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NETHERLANDS HAS DISCONTINUED THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR SABA. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS * BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS * PUERTO RICO...CULEBRA...AND VIEQUES * DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM CABO ENGANO TO PUERTO PLATA * TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WEST OF PUERTO PLATA TO THE NORTHERN BORDER OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI * DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WEST OF CABO ENGANO TO PUNTA PALENQUE A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM ISLA SAONA TO CABO ENGANO A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. A WATCH IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 48 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS... CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN HISPANIOLA AND THE BAHAMAS SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF MARIA. HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 18.4N 66.5W AT 20/1500Z POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 20 NM PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE NORTHWEST OR 305 DEGREES AT 10 KT ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 930 MB MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 120 KT WITH GUSTS TO 145 KT. 64 KT....... 50NE 45SE 35SW 40NW. 50 KT....... 80NE 70SE 60SW 80NW. 34 KT.......130NE 110SE 100SW 110NW. 12 FT SEAS..210NE 180SE 180SW 150NW. WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT. REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 18.4N 66.5W AT 20/1500Z AT 20/1200Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 18.2N 66.1W FORECAST VALID 21/0000Z 19.2N 67.6W MAX WIND 120 KT...GUSTS 145 KT. 64 KT... 50NE 45SE 35SW 40NW. 50 KT... 80NE 80SE 60SW 80NW. 34 KT...140NE 120SE 110SW 120NW. FORECAST VALID 21/1200Z 20.2N 69.0W MAX WIND 125 KT...GUSTS 150 KT. 64 KT... 50NE 50SE 40SW 45NW. 50 KT... 80NE 80SE 60SW 80NW. 34 KT...140NE 120SE 110SW 120NW. FORECAST VALID 22/0000Z 21.2N 70.1W MAX WIND 125 KT...GUSTS 150 KT. 64 KT... 50NE 50SE 40SW 45NW. 50 KT... 90NE 80SE 60SW 80NW. 34 KT...140NE 130SE 110SW 130NW. FORECAST VALID 22/1200Z 22.4N 71.0W MAX WIND 120 KT...GUSTS 145 KT. 50 KT... 90NE 80SE 60SW 80NW. 34 KT...150NE 150SE 110SW 130NW. FORECAST VALID 23/1200Z 25.3N 72.4W MAX WIND 110 KT...GUSTS 135 KT. 50 KT...100NE 90SE 70SW 90NW. 34 KT...170NE 170SE 130SW 150NW. EXTENDED OUTLOOK. NOTE...ERRORS FOR TRACK HAVE AVERAGED NEAR 150 NM ON DAY 4 AND 200 NM ON DAY 5...AND FOR INTENSITY NEAR 15 KT EACH DAY OUTLOOK VALID 24/1200Z 28.5N 73.0W MAX WIND 100 KT...GUSTS 120 KT. OUTLOOK VALID 25/1200Z 31.5N 73.0W MAX WIND 90 KT...GUSTS 110 KT. REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 18.4N 66.5W NEXT ADVISORY AT 20/2100Z $$ FORECASTER BERG