000 WTNT32 KNHC 070243 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE PALOMA ADVISORY NUMBER 6 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172008 1000 PM EST THU NOV 06 2008 ...PALOMA CONTINUES TO GET BETTER ORGANIZED AS IT HEADS SLOWLY TOWARD THE CAYMAN ISLANDS... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. INTERESTS IN CUBA AND JAMAICA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1000 PM EST...0300Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.8 WEST OR ABOUT 150 MILES... 240 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 270 MILES...435 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF MONTEGO BAY JAMAICA. PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND MOST OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY...WITH A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST FORECAST TO OCCUR LATE FRIDAY AND ON SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. PALOMA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY AND PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE ON FRIDAY...AND POSSIBLY REACH CATEGORY 3 INTENSITY BY SATURDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES...30 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM. NOAA BUOY 42057 REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 85 MPH... 137 KM/HR...WHEN THE CENTER PASSED JUST TO THE WEST. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 987 MB...29.15 INCHES. PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE. REPEATING THE 1000 PM EST POSITION...17.2 N...81.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...987 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 100 AM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 400 AM EST. $$ FORECASTER STEWART