000 WTNT31 KNHC 011733 TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE OPHELIA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 36A NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL162011 200 PM AST SAT OCT 01 2011 ...EYE OF HURRICANE OPHELIA OBSERVED ON BERMUDA RADAR... SUMMARY OF 200 PM AST...1800 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...30.4N 62.9W ABOUT 170 MI...275 KM SE OF BERMUDA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH...195 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 360 DEGREES AT 21 MPH...33 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...952 MB...28.11 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 BERMUDA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE BERMUDA WEATHER SERVICE. TROPICAL STORM WATCHES OR WARNINGS COULD BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION OF THE AVALON PENINSULA IN NEWFOUNDLAND LATER TODAY. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 200 PM AST...1800 UTC...THE EYE OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.9 WEST. OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 21 MPH...33 KM/H. ON THIS TRACK THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL PASS EAST OF BERMUDA LATER TODAY. A TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST SHOULD BEGIN ON SUNDAY WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO BE NEAR AND TO THE SOUTH OF THE AVALON PENINSULA IN NEWFOUNDLAND ON MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 120 MPH...195 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY TODAY...BUT A GRADUAL WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN ON SUNDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES...65 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES...335 KM MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 952 MB...28.11 INCHES. A DRIFTING BUOY NEAR THE EYE OF OPHELIA REPORTED A MINIMUM PRESSURE OF 959.7 MB...28.34 INCHES...A FEW HOURS AGO. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ON BERMUDA BY THIS AFTERNOON. SURF...LARGE SWELLS CREATED BY OPHELIA WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS ALONG THE SOUTH-FACING BEACHES OF BERMUDA. RAINFALL...RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1 INCH CAN BE EXPECTED ON BERMUDA IN ASSOCIATION WITH OPHELIA. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...500 PM AST. $$ FORECASTER AVILA