000 WTNT33 KNHC 201739 TCPAT3 BULLETIN HURRICANE BILL INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 21A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL032009 200 PM AST THU AUG 20 2009 ...LARGE HURRICANE BILL RACING NORTHWESTWARD...SPREADING HIGH SWELLS OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC... A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR BERMUDA. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA... GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. AT 200 PM AST...1800 UTC...THE EYE OF HURRICANE BILL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.6 WEST OR ABOUT 645 MILES...1035 KM SOUTH OF BERMUDA. BILL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TROUGH FRIDAY. ON THIS FORECAST TRACK...THE CORE OF HURRICANE BILL IS EXPECTED TO PASS OVER THE OPEN WATERS BETWEEN BERMUDA AND THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES EARLY SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 120 MPH...195 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BILL IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND BILL COULD REGAIN CATEGORY FOUR STATUS ON FRIDAY. BILL IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 260 MILES...415 KM. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE WAS 951 MB...28.08 INCHES. LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY THIS HURRICANE ARE AFFECTING THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS...PUERTO RICO AND HISPANIOLA...AND SHOULD BEGIN AFFECTING THE BAHAMAS...BERMUDA...MOST OF THE U.S. EAST COAST...AND THE ATLANTIC MARITIMES OF CANADA DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THESE SWELLS WILL LIKELY CAUSE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SURF AND LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS. PLEASE CONSULT STATEMENTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE FOR MORE DETAILS. ...SUMMARY OF 200 PM AST INFORMATION... LOCATION...23.2N 62.6W MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH PRESENT MOVEMENT...NORTHWEST OR 305 DEGREES AT 18 MPH MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...951 MB THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 PM AST. $$ FORECASTER AVILA