000 WTNT31 KNHC 011139 TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 30A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 8 AM AST WED SEP 01 2004 ...DANGEROUS HURRICANE FRANCES HEADING TOWARD THE BAHAMAS... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS... WHICH INCLUDES ACKLINS...CROOKED...INAGUAS...MAYAGUANA AND RAGGED ISLANDS...AND FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHICH INCLUDES CAT...EXUMAS...LONG ISLANDS...RUM CAY AND SAN SALVADOR. 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 MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THE NORTH COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FROM PUNTA GORDA WESTWARD TO MANZANILLO BAY. AT 8 AM AST...1200Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED BY A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT NEAR LATITUDE 21.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 69.1 WEST OR ABOUT 130 MILES... 210 KM...EAST OF GRAND TURK ISLAND OR 780 MILES...1260 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF PALM BEACH FLORIDA. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH...26 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL BE PASSING NEAR OR OVER THE THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 140 MPH...220 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS....A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. WHILE FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...FRANCES COULD STILL INTENSIFY A LITTLE MORE BEFORE REACHING THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 937 MB...27.67 INCHES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES...LOCALLY HIGHER...ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TODAY. LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF HISPANIOLA...AND SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES TODAY. REPEATING THE 8 AM AST POSITION...21.4 N... 69.1 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...937 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 NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 AM AST. FORECASTER AVILA $$