000 WTNT34 KNHC 032345 TCPAT4 BULLETIN HURRICANE IKE SPECIAL ADVISORY NUMBER 11 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008 800 PM AST WED SEP 03 2008 ...IKE BECOMES THE THIRD MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE SEASON... AT 800 PM AST...0000Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 53.2 WEST OR ABOUT 645 MILES...1035 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TO THE WEST ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...TAKING IKE OVER THE OPEN WATERS OF THE WEST-CENTRAL ATLANTIC DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE WHAT IF ANY LAND AREAS MIGHT EVENTUALLY BE AFFECTED BY IKE. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY THIRD HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 160 MILES...260 KM. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 960 MB...28.35 INCHES. REPEATING THE 800 PM AST POSITION...21.7 N...53.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...960 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1100 PM AST. $$ FORECASTER BROWN/BLAKE