000 WTNT31 KNHC 311658 TCPAT1 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM ARTHUR SPECIAL ADVISORY NUMBER 1 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL012008 100 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM ARTHUR...FIRST STORM OF THE 2008 ATLANTIC SEASON...QUICKLY FORMS NEAR THE COAST OF BELIZE...ALREADY MOVING INLAND... AT 1 PM EDT...1700 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR THE COAST OF BELIZE....AND THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM CABO CATOCHE SOUTHWARD TO THE BORDER WITH BELIZE. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA..IN THIS CASE...WITHIN THE NEXT 6 TO 12 HOURS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 100 PM EDT...1700Z...THE CENTER OF NEWLY FORMED TROPICAL STORM ARTHUR WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 88.5 WEST OR ABOUT 45 MILES... 75 KM...NORTH-NORTHWEST OF BELIZE CITY AND ABOUT 195 MILES ...315 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF COZUMEL MEXICO. ARTHUR IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION WILL BE MOVING OVER YUCATAN TODAY AND EARLY SUNDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 40 MPH...65 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THESE WINDS ARE OCCURRING PRIMARILY OVER WATER WELL TO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST OF THE CENTER. ARTHUR IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN TODAY AS IT MOVES FARTHER INLAND OVER YUCATAN. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 260 MILES...415 KM MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1005 MB...29.68 INCHES. ARTHUR IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER BELIZE AND PORTIONS OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 15 INCHES. REPEATING THE 100 PM EDT POSITION...18.1 N...88.5 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...40 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1005 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500 PM EDT. $$ FORECASTER AVILA/RHOME