000 WTNT33 KNHC 200833 TCPAT3 BULLETIN HURRICANE GORDON ADVISORY NUMBER 19 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL082012 500 AM AST MON AUG 20 2012 ...GORDON PASSES THROUGH THE EASTERN AZORES ISLANDS...EXPECTED TO BECOME A POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE LATER TODAY... SUMMARY OF 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...37.4N 24.3W ABOUT 50 MI...80 KM E OF SANTA MARIA ISLAND IN THE AZORES MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...75 MPH...120 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...ENE OR 60 DEGREES AT 15 MPH...24 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...987 MB...29.15 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 OCCURRING 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 500 AM AST...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GORDON WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 37.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 24.3 WEST. GORDON IS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST-NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MPH...24 KM/H...AND A GRADUAL DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AND A TURN TOWARD THE EAST IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK... GORDON WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE EASTERN AZORES ISLANDS LATER TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GORDON IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...AND GORDON IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE EAST OF THE AZORES BY TUESDAY. 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 COUPLE OF HOURS...A 10-MINUTE AVERAGE WIND OF 40 MPH...65 KM/H...AND A GUST TO 52 MPH...83 KM/H...WERE REPORTED ON SANTA MARIA ISLAND. ALSO...A 10-MINUTE AVERAGE WIND OF 38 MPH...61 KM/H...AND A GUST TO 52 MPH...83 KM/H...WERE REPORTED ON SAO MIGUEL ISLAND. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 987 MB...29.15 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN AZORES ISLANDS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON AS GORDON MOVES AWAY FROM THE AZORES. 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 INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...800 AM AST. NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 AM AST. $$ FORECASTER STEWART