000 WTNT31 KNHC 210244 TCPAT1 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM FAY ADVISORY NUMBER 22 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062008 1100 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2008 ...VERY HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE ALONG THE EAST COAST OF CENTRAL FLORIDA AS FAY SITS JUST OFFSHORE... AT 1100 PM EDT...0300 UTC...THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH FROM NORTH OF ALTAMAHA SOUND TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER HAS BEEN CHANGED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM FORT PIERCE FLORIDA NORTHWARD TO THE SAVANNAH RIVER AT THE BORDER BETWEEN GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1100 PM EDT...0300Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FAY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 80.5 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES...60 KM...SOUTHEAST OF DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA. FAY HAS BEEN NEARLY STATIONARY DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS...BUT A SLOW MOTION TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS FORECAST TO BEGIN TONIGHT OR EARLY TOMORROW AND CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS TRACK...FAY IS FORECAST TO MOVE VERY SLOWLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA ON THURSDAY...AND NEAR OR ALONG THE GULF COAST IN THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AREA ON FRIDAY. DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE AND FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE WHILE THE CENTER OF FAY REMAINS OVER WATER TONIGHT AND VERY EARLY TOMORROW...BUT GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST ON THURSDAY AND EARLY FRIDAY AFTER FAY MOVES BACK OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES...240 KM FROM THE CENTER. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES. FAY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER EAST-CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA...WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA. ISOLATED STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 30 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN FLORIDA. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE EXTREME NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. STORM TIDES OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER OF FAY. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. REPEATING THE 1100 PM EDT POSITION...28.9 N...80.5 W. MOVEMENT... STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...994 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500 AM EDT. $$ FORECASTER KNABB/BROWN