000 WTNT31 KNHC 200055 TCPAT1 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM FAY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 17B NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062008 900 PM EDT TUE AUG 19 2008 ...FAY SLOWS DOWN AND WEAKENS OVER EAST-CENTRAL FLORIDA... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM NORTH OF JUPITER INLET TO FLAGLER BEACH...AND FOR LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO ALTAMAHA SOUND...GEORGIA. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF ALTAMAHA SOUND TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 900 PM EDT...0100Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.9 WEST OR ABOUT 45 MILES... 75 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MELBOURNE FLORIDA. FAY HAS MOVED LITTLE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS BUT A NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD MOTION NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR....IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTH WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY. THIS TRACK SHOULD BRING FAY OVER WATER ON WEDNESDAY. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DATA INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FURTHER WEAKENING IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT BUT FAY WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO RESTRENGTHEN WHEN IT MOVES OVER THE ATLANTIC WATERS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM FROM THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 988 MB...29.18 INCHES. FAY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA...WITH MAXIMUM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES. ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. STORM TIDES OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA AS FAY APPROACHES. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF THE EAST-CENTRAL FLORIDA PENINSULA. REPEATING THE 900 PM EDT POSITION...27.5 N...80.9 W. MOVEMENT...NEARLY STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...988 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1100 PM EDT. $$ FORECASTER PASCH/RHOME