000 WTNT34 KNHC 072039 TCPAT4 BULLETIN HURRICANE IKE ADVISORY NUMBER 27 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008 500 PM EDT SUN SEP 07 2008 ...IKE WEAKENS A LITTLE AS IT APPROACHES EASTERN CUBA... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE ACKLINS... CROOKED ISLAND...THE INAGUAS...MAYAGUANA...AND THE RAGGED ISLANDS...AND FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS INCLUDING CAT ISLAND...THE EXUMAS...LONG ISLAND...RUM CAY...AND SAN SALVADOR. AT 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE PROVINCE OF MATANZAS. A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF GUANTANAMO... SANTIAGO DE CUBA... HOLGUIN...LAS TUNAS AND GRANMA...CAMAGUEY... CIEGO DE AVILA....VILLA CLARA...SANCTI SPIRITUS...CIENFUEGOS...AND MATANZAS. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. AT 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE PROVINCES OF PINAR DEL RIO AND THE ISLE OF YOUTH. A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF LA HABANA...CIUDAD DE HABANA...PINAR DEL RIO...AND THE ISLE OF YOUTH. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM OCEAN REEF SOUTHWARD...INCLUDING THE DRY TORTUGAS. AT 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ANDROS ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ANDROS ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF HAITI FROM THE NORTHERN BOARDER WITH THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO GONAIVES. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. AT 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF JAMAICA HAS ISSUED A TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THAT ISLAND. ALL INTERESTS IN THE REMAINDER OF THE BAHAMAS...CUBA...AND SOUTH FLORIDA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HURRICANE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 500 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.6 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES...145 KM ...WEST OF GREAT INAGUA ISLAND AND ABOUT 75 MILES...120 KM... NORTH-NORTHEAST OF GUANTANAMO CUBA. IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/HR. A WEST TO WEST-NORTHWEST MOTION IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND OVER OR NEAR EASTERN CUBA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 120 MPH...195 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT BUT IKE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES EASTERN CUBA. IKE IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES OVER EASTERN AND CENTRAL CUBA ON MONDAY. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES...95 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 145 MILES...230 KM. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 945 MB...27.91 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 9 TO 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS. LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY IKE WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES COAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THESE WAVES COULD GENERATE DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS. IKE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES OVER EASTERN AND CENTRAL CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE- THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS COULD SEE RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES FROM IKE. PORTIONS OF HISPANIOLA COULD RECEIVE ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS. REPEATING THE 500 PM EDT POSITION...21.1 N...74.6 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 14 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...945 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 PM EDT. $$ FORECASTER RHOME/BEVEN