000 WTNT31 KNHC 020835 TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE OPHELIA ADVISORY NUMBER 39 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL162011 500 AM AST SUN OCT 02 2011 ...OPHELIA WEAKENS BUT STILL A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT MOVES QUICKLY NORTHWARD... SUMMARY OF 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...36.2N 61.8W ABOUT 320 MI...515 KM NNE OF BERMUDA ABOUT 855 MI...1370 KM SW OF CAPE RACE NEWFOUNDLAND MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH...205 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 10 DEGREES AT 29 MPH...46 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...948 MB...27.99 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 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...THE EYE OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 36.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 61.8 WEST. OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 29 MPH...46 KM/H. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED SHOULD BEGIN LATER TODAY. THE CENTER OF OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO BE NEAR THE AVALON PENINSULA OF NEWFOUNDLAND ON MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. STEADY WEAKENING IS FORECAST THROUGH MONDAY. HOWEVER...OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH WHEN IT PASSES CLOSE TO THE AVALON PENINSULA ON MONDAY. 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. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 948 MB...27.99 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ON THE AVALON PENINSULA BY EARLY MONDAY. SURF...LARGE SWELLS CREATED BY OPHELIA WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS ON BERMUDA. THESE CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TODAY. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...800 AM AST. NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER STEWART