000 WTNT33 KNHC 210242 TCPAT3 BULLETIN HURRICANE BILL ADVISORY NUMBER 23 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL032009 1100 PM AST THU AUG 20 2009 ...POWERFUL HURRICANE BILL REMAINS ON TRACK... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR BERMUDA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. INTERESTS ALONG THE COAST OF NEW ENGLAND AND IN THE CANADIAN MARITIMES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF BILL. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE. AT 1100 PM AST...0300 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BILL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 64.3 WEST OR ABOUT 510 MILES... 825 KM...SOUTH OF BERMUDA AND ABOUT 975 MILES...1570 KM...SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA. BILL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR. THIS MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH ON SATURDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE IS EXPECTED TO PASS BETWEEN BERMUDA AND THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES ON SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BILL IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS...AND BILL COULD REGAIN CATEGORY FOUR STRENGTH ON FRIDAY. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON SATURDAY. BILL IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 260 MILES...415 KM. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATE BY A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE WAS 943 MB...27.85 INCHES. BILL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OVER BERMUDA...WITH POSSIBLY SOME AMOUNTS OF 6 INCHES. SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING IS EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE BERMUDA COASTLINE OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO DUE TO LARGE AND DANGEROUS BREAKING WAVES GENERATED BY BILL. LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY THIS HURRICANE ARE AFFECTING PUERTO RICO...HISPANIOLA...THE BAHAMAS...AND BERMUDA...AND SHOULD BEGIN AFFECTING MOST OF THE U.S. EAST COAST AND THE ATLANTIC MARITIMES OF CANADA DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. 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 1100 PM AST INFORMATION... LOCATION...24.9N 64.3W MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125 MPH PRESENT MOVEMENT...NORTHWEST OR 310 DEGREES AT 18 MPH MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...943 MB AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 AM AST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 500 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER BROWN/PASCH