000 WTNT32 KNHC 070853 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE PALOMA ADVISORY NUMBER 7 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172008 400 AM EST FRI NOV 07 2008 ...PALOMA STRENGTHENING...CONTINUING NORTHWARD 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. WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE NECESSARY FOR PORTIONS OF 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 400 AM EST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.7 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES... 175 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 255 MILES...410 KM...WEST OF MONTEGO BAY JAMAICA. PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF PALOMA WILL PASS NEAR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS LATE FRIDAY OR EARLY SATURDAY. REPORTS FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 80 MPH...130 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 LATER TODAY...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. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY THE AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER IS 981 MB...28.97 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED NEAR THE CENTER OF PALOMA IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. 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 400 AM EST POSITION...17.8 N...81.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...981 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 700 AM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1000 AM EST. $$ FORECASTER BEVEN