000 WTNT32 KNHC 270251 TCPAT2 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV ADVISORY NUMBER 8 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008 1100 PM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008 ...GUSTAV WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM...HOWEVER...HEAVY RAINS AND SQUALLS ARE STILL LASHING MUCH OF HAITI... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR HAITI FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC-HAITI BORDER WESTWARD TO LE MOLE ST NICHOLAS. A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CUBA FOR THE PROVINCES OF GUANTANAMO...SANTIAGO DE CUBA...AND GRANMA. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR HAITI FROM LE MOLE ST NICHOLAS TO THE NORTHERN HAITI/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BORDER. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF LAS TUNAS AND HOLGUIN. A HURRICANE WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR JAMAICA AND ALL OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. INTERESTS IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN CUBA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF GUSTAV. 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 GUSTAV WAS LOCATEDNEAR LATITUDE 18.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 73.6 WEST OR ABOUT 85 MILES...135 KM...WEST OF PORT AU PRINCE HAITI AND ABOUT 150 MILES...245 KM...SOUTHEAST OF GUANTANAMO CUBA. GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. A TURN TOWARD THE WEST IS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY...WITH A RETURN TO GENERAL WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION FORECAST TO OCCUR ON THURSDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...GUSTAV SHOULD PASS BETWEEN JAMAICA AND THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF CUBA ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GUSTAV IS MOVING BACK OVER WATER AND IS EXPECTED TO REGAIN HURRICANE STRENGTH ON WEDNESDAY ONCE IT CLEARS THE SOUTHWESTERN PENINSULA OF HAITI. MORE SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST ON THURSDAY AND GUSTAV COULD BECOME A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE WHEN IT PASSES BETWEEN CUBA AND JAMAICA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM FROM THE CENTER. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES. GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER HISPANIOLA...EASTERN CUBA...JAMAICA...AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 25 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES CAN BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. REPEATING THE 1100 PM EDT POSITION...18.6 N...73.6 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...70 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 STEWART/FRANKLIN