000 WTNT33 KNHC 040847 TCPAT3 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM HANNA ADVISORY NUMBER 30 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL082008 500 AM AST THU SEP 04 2008 ...SPRAWLING HANNA HEADING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST... AT 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SURF CITY NORTH CAROLINA SOUTHWESTWARD TO NORTH OF EDISTO BEACH SOUTH CAROLINA...AND A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM EDISTO BEACH SOUTHWESTWARD TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GEORGIA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL THE BAHAMAS AND FOR 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 500 AM AST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 72.8 WEST OR ABOUT 295 MILES...480 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU AND ABOUT 770 MILES...1235 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA. HANNA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF HANNA WILL PASS JUST EAST OF THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS TODAY...AND WILL BE NEAR THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES BY FRIDAY OR FRIDAY NIGHT. DATA FROM A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH...110 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...AND HANNA COULD BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE REACHING THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 290 MILES...465 KM FROM THE CENTER. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 990 MB...29.23 INCHES. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS WITHIN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA. 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 500 AM AST POSITION...24.0 N...72.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...70 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...990 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 AM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER KNABB