000 WTNT32 KNHC 062046 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE KATIA ADVISORY NUMBER 35 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL122011 500 PM AST TUE SEP 06 2011 ...KATIA WEAKENS TO CATEGORY 2 STRENGTH...SEVERE RIP CURRENT RISK CONTINUES ALONG THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES... SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST...2100 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...27.6N 66.7W ABOUT 345 MI...555 KM SSW OF BERMUDA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH...165 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...NW OR 320 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...963 MB...28.44 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES IN WATCHES AND WARNINGS WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * BERMUDA A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS. FOR ADDITIONAL STORM INFORMATION...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE BERMUDA WEATHER SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 500 PM AST...2100 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 66.7 WEST. KATIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/H...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST AND NORTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CORE OF KATIA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE BETWEEN THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AND BERMUDA. DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/H... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. KATIA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST THOUGH WEDNESDAY...BUT GRADUAL WEAKENING COULD BEGIN BY THURSDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES...335 KM. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE MEASURED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 963 MB...28.44 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- SURF...LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY KATIA WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MOST OF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES...BERMUDA...THE GREATER ANTILLES...AND EAST-FACING BEACHES OF THE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS. PLEASE CONSULT PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. WIND...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN GUSTS...ARE POSSIBLE ON BERMUDA THROUGH THURSDAY. RAINFALL...KATIA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS BERMUDA. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...800 PM AST. NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 PM AST. $$ FORECASTER BERG/BRENNAN