000 WTNT32 KNHC 071754 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE PALOMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 8A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172008 100 PM EST FRI NOV 07 2008 ...PALOMA INTENSIFIES A LITTLE MORE...HEADING TOWARD GRAND CAYMAN... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS 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. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF SANCTI SPIRITUS...CIEGO DE AVILA...CAMAGUEY...LAS TUNAS...AND GRANMA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CUBA...JAMAICA AND THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA. ADDITIONAL WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE NECESSARY FOR PORTIONS OF CUBA LATER TODAY. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 100 PM EST...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.3 WEST OR ABOUT 60 MILES... 100 KM...SOUTH OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 220 MILES...355 KM...WEST OF MONTEGO BAY JAMAICA. PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH...10 KM/HR. 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 TONIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY AND BE APPROACHING THE COAST OF CENTRAL CUBA LATE SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 90 MPH...150 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. PALOMA IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY AND PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE LATER TODAY...AND POSSIBLY REACH CATEGORY THREE INTENSITY LATE TONIGHT OR ON SATURDAY. DATA FROM THE NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES...35 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE IS 974 MB...28.91 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 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 OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN CUBA WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. FLASH FLOOD AND MUDSLIDES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER TERRAIN. REPEATING THE 100 PM EST POSITION...18.4 N...81.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...974 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 400 PM EST. $$ FORECASTER BLAKE/FRANKLIN