000 WTNT32 KNHC 090835 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE FRED ADVISORY NUMBER 7 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072009 500 AM AST WED SEP 09 2009 ...FRED INTENSIFIES RAPIDLY OVER THE FAR EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC... AT 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRED WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 31.7 WEST OR ABOUT 500 MILES... 805 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHERNMOST CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. FRED IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...20 KM/HR...AND A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND THEN NORTH-NORTHWEST WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FRED IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST...AND FRED COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE LATER TODAY. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON THURSDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES...35 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 970 MB...28.64 INCHES. ...SUMMARY OF 500 AM AST INFORMATION... LOCATION...13.2N 31.7W MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH PRESENT MOVEMENT...WEST-NORTHWEST OR 300 DEGREES AT 13 MPH MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...970 MB THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1100 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER PASCH