000 WTNT33 KNHC 011452 TCPAT3 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM HANNA ADVISORY NUMBER 18 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL082008 1100 AM AST MON SEP 01 2008 ...HANNA STRENGTHENS AS IT MOVES SLOWLY WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD... AT 11 AM AST...1500 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...INCLUDING CAT ISLAND... THE EXUMAS...LONG ISLAND...RUM CAY...AND SAN SALVADOR. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 1100 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 72.9 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES... 65 KM...NORTH OF MAYAGUANA ISLAND IN THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS. HANNA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH...7 KM/HR. A SLOW MOTION TOWARD THE WEST-SOUTHWEST OR SOUTHWEST IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE WEST AND NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...HANNA WILL MOVE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING HANNA AND WILL BE SAMPLING THE CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM FROM THE CENTER. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 994 MB...29.35 INCHES. HANNA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS... WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 12 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THURSDAY. SWELLS FROM HANNA ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE RISK OF DANGEROUS RIP CURRENTS ALONG PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES COAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. REPEATING THE 1100 AM AST POSITION...23.0 N...72.9 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-SOUTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...994 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 PM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500 PM AST. $$ FORECASTER RHOME/AVILA