000 WTNT32 KNHC 290852 TCPAT2 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV ADVISORY NUMBER 18 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008 500 AM EDT FRI AUG 29 2008 ...GUSTAV NEAR THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF JAMAICA HEADING TOWARD THE CAYMAN ISLANDS... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR JAMAICA AND THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN CUBA...FOR THE PROVINCES OF ISLA DE JUVENTUD...PINAR DEL RIO...LA HABANA...AND CIUDAD DE LA HABANA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE OF GRANMA. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCE OF MATANZAS. TROPICAL STORM WATCHES MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL CUBA LATER TODAY. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 500 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.1 WEST OR ABOUT 85 MILES...140 KM...WEST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA AND ABOUT 220 MILES...355 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN. GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST IS FORECAST ON SATURDAY. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF GUSTAV WILL LEAVE JAMAICA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS LATER TODAY...AND APPROACH WESTERN CUBA ON SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE LATER TODAY OR TOMORROW. GUSTAV COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BEFORE REACHING WESTERN CUBA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM FROM THE CENTER. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE FROM AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE DATA IS 991 MB...29.26 INCHES. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. GUSTAV IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS 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. RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHERN CUBA. REPEATING THE 500 AM EDT POSITION...18.1 N...78.1 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...65 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...991 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 AM EDT. $$ FORECASTER BLAKE/AVILA