000 WTNT34 KNHC 100553 TCPAT4 BULLETIN HURRICANE IKE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 36A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008 200 AM EDT WED SEP 10 2008 ...IKE IS NOT IN A HURRY...STILL PRODUCING HEAVY SQUALLS OVER PORTIONS OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AND WESTERN CUBA... A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF MATANZAS...LA HABANA...CIUDAD DE HABANA...PINAR DEL RIO...AND THE ISLE OF YOUTH. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE WESTWARD TO THE DRY TORTUGAS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 200 AM EDT...0600Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED BY RADARS FROM KEY WEST AND CUBA NEAR LATITUDE 23.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 84.6 WEST OR ABOUT 100 MILES...165 KM...NORTH-NORTHEAST OF CABO SAN ANTONIO ON THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA. IKE HAS SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE AND IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH...11 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH A SMALL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED...AND IKE COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING IKE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM. DRY TORTUGAS RECENTLY REPORTED A SUSTAINED WIND OF 55 MPH...89 KM/HR...WITH A GUST TO 70 MPH...113 KM/HR. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 967 MB...28.56 INCHES. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING AND WAVES ALONG THE COASTS OF CUBA SHOULD GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TODAY. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES...ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS. LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY IKE WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO. THESE SWELLS COULD GENERATE DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING RIP CURRENTS. IKE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER WESTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS. ISOLATED TORNADOES AND WATERSPOUTS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE FLORIDA KEYS AND EXTREME SOUTH FLORIDA THIS MORNING. REPEATING THE 200 AM EDT POSITION...23.3 N...84.6 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...967 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 AM EDT. $$ FORECASTER AVILA