000 WTNT33 KNHC 240551 TCPAT3 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM SANDY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 7A NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL182012 200 AM EDT WED OCT 24 2012 ...SANDY CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN AS IT HEADS NORTHWARD TOWARD JAMAICA... SUMMARY OF 200 AM EDT...0600 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...15.7N 77.1W ABOUT 160 MI...260 KM S OF KINGSTON JAMAICA ABOUT 315 MI...510 KM SSW OF GUANTANAMO CUBA MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...65 MPH...105 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 10 DEGREES AT 10 MPH...17 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...988 MB...29.18 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * JAMAICA * CUBAN PROVINCES OF CAMAGUEY...LAS TUNAS...GRANMA...SANTIAGO DE CUBA...HOLGUIN...AND GUANTANAMO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * HAITI * THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...INCLUDING CAT ISLAND...THE EXUMAS...LONG ISLAND...RUM CAY...AND SAN SALVADOR. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * THE SOUTHEASTERN AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN 24 TO 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 48 HOURS. INTERESTS IN SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL FLORIDA...AND THE FLORIDA KEYS... SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF SANDY. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS LATER THIS MORNING. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 200 AM EDT...0600 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM SANDY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.1 WEST. SANDY IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 10 MPH...17 KM/H. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY ACCOMPANIED BY A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF SANDY IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS JAMAICA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MOVE NEAR OR OVER EASTERN CUBA LATE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...AND APPROACH THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY. RECENT REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 65 MPH...105 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND SANDY IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE BY THE TIME IT REACHES JAMAICA AND CUBA. TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM FROM THE CENTER. A NOAA BUOY LOCATED WELL TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 47 MPH...76 KM/H. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 988 MB...29.18 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH JAMAICA THIS MORNING...WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED BY THIS AFTERNOON. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN PORTIONS OF HAITI BY THIS AFTERNOON. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN EASTERN CUBA BY THIS EVENING. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS BY EARLY THURSDAY...AND WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. RAINFALL...SANDY IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ACROSS JAMAICA...HAITI...THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND EASTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS MAY PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE BAHAMAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES. STORM SURGE...A STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN COAST OF JAMAICA. A STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IN SOUTHEASTERN CUBA. A STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 4 TO 7 FT ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IN THE BAHAMAS WITHIN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA. NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...500 AM EDT. $$ FORECASTER STEWART