000 WTNT35 KNHC 240850 TCPAT5 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM MATTHEW ADVISORY NUMBER 4 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL152010 500 AM EDT FRI SEP 24 2010 ...MATTHEW STRENGTHENS SLIGHTLY AS IT APPROACHES HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA... SUMMARY OF 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...14.3N 79.8W ABOUT 240 MI...390 KM E OF PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA ABOUT 230 MI...375 KM ESE OF CABO GRACIAS A DIOS ON NIC/HON BORDER MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH...85 KM/HR PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 280 DEGREES AT 16 MPH...26 KM/HR MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1000 MB...29.53 INCHES WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY... NONE. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA TO LIMON HONDURAS...INCLUDING THE OFFSHORE ISLANDS A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR... * THE COAST OF BELIZE A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR... * LIMON HONDURAS WESTWARD TO THE GUATEMALA BORDER WATCHES OR WARNINGS COULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE COAST OF GUATEMALA LATER TODAY. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN 24 TO 36 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. A WATCH IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 48 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS...CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE. DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK ------------------------------ AT 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM MATTHEW WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 79.8 WEST. MATTHEW IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 16 MPH...26 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR OVER NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA AND EASTERN HONDURAS LATE TODAY...THEN MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE COAST OF NORTHERN HONDURAS TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND MATTHEW COULD BECOME A HURRICANE LATE TODAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES...75 KM FROM THE CENTER. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1000 MB...29.53 INCHES. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND ---------------------- WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO FIRST REACH THE COAST WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA BY TONIGHT. STORM SURGE...A STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE SOME COASTAL FLOODING NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER OF MATTHEW MAKES LANDFALL. NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES. RAINFALL...MATTHEW IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINFALL TOTALS MAY PRODUCE LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. NEXT ADVISORY ------------- NEXT INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY...800 AM EDT. NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...1100 AM EDT. $$ FORECASTER BEVEN