000 WTNT31 KNHC 300849 TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE OPHELIA ADVISORY NUMBER 31 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL162011 500 AM AST FRI SEP 30 2011 ...OPHELIA RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES INTO A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE... SUMMARY OF 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...22.4N 62.6W ABOUT 695 MI...1120 KM SSE OF BERMUDA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...100 MPH...160 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNW OR 345 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...973 MB...28.73 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * BERMUDA FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.6 WEST. OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/H. A TURN TO THE NORTH WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO PASS EAST OF BERMUDA ON SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH...160 KM/H... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 973 MB...28.73 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ON BERMUDA STARTING SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SURF...LARGE SWELLS CREATED BY OPHELIA WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE BEACHES OF BERMUDA. RAINFALL...RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED ON BERMUDA IN ASSOCIATION WITH OPHELIA. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...800 AM AST. NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER STEWART