000 WTNT33 KNHC 200551 TCPAT3 BULLETIN HURRICANE GORDON INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 18A NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL082012 200 AM AST MON AUG 20 2012 ...HURRICANE GORDON MOVING THROUGH THE EASTERN AZORES ISLANDS... SUMMARY OF 200 AM AST...0600 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...37.3N 25.2W ABOUT 20 MI...30 KM N OF SANTA MARIA ISLAND IN THE AZORES ABOUT 40 MI...65 KM SE OF SAO MIGUEL ISLAND IN THE AZORES MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...75 MPH...120 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...ENE OR 70 DEGREES AT 20 MPH...32 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...983 MB...29.03 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * THE EASTERN AZORES A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 200 AM AST...0600 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GORDON WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 37.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 25.2 WEST. GORDON IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST NEAR 20 MPH...32 KM/H...AND A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF GORDON IS EXPECTED TO PASS BETWEEN SANTA MARIA ISLAND AND SAN MIGUEL ISLAND IN THE EASTERN AZORES IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...AND MOVE EAST OF THOSE ISLANDS LATER THIS MORNING. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GORDON IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. WEAKENING IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO...BUT GORDON IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN HURRICANE INTENSITY UNTIL AFTER IT PASSES THE AZORES LATER THIS MORNING. HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM. DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS...A 10-MINUTE AVERAGE WIND OF 47 MPH...76 KM/H...AND A GUST TO 70 MPH...113 KM/H...WERE REPORTED ON SANTA MARIA ISLAND. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 983 MB...29.03 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN AZORES ISLANDS....AND THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH THIS EARLY MORNING. RAINFALL...GORDON IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN AZORES. SURF...SWELLS GENERATED BY GORDON WILL CAUSE DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN AZORES. PLEASE CONSULT PRODUCTS FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...500 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER STEWART