000 WTNT31 KNHC 012340 TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE OPHELIA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 37A NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL162011 800 PM AST SAT OCT 01 2011 ...OPHELIA INTENSIFIES INTO A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE AS IT PASSES EAST OF BERMUDA... SUMMARY OF 800 PM AST...0000 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...32.5N 62.4W ABOUT 140 MI...220 KM E OF BERMUDA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...135 MPH...215 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 10 DEGREES AT 26 MPH...43 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...944 MB...27.88 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * THE AVALON PENINSULA OF NEWFOUNDLAND FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 800 PM AST...0000 UTC...THE EYE OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED BY BERMUDA RADAR NEAR LATITUDE 32.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.4 WEST. OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 26 MPH...43 KM/H. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST SHOULD BEGIN ON SUNDAY WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO BE NEAR THE AVALON PENINSULA OF NEWFOUNDLAND ON MONDAY. SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 135 MPH...215 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. GRADUAL WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN ON SUNDAY...WITH RAPID WEAKENING LIKELY BY LATE SUNDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 944 MB...27.88 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ON THE AVALON PENINSULA EARLY MONDAY. SURF...LARGE SWELLS CREATED BY OPHELIA WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS ON BERMUDA. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 PM AST. $$ FORECASTER BLAKE/BRENNAN