WMO Header Section

This section contains the assigned United Nations World Meteorology Organization (WMO) document identifier, the National Weather Service document identifier, the storm type and name, advisory number, the issuing center (in this case the NHC), and the date and time for the advisory, and a tropical cyclone identifier (the format is BBNNYYYY, BB=Basin (AL=Atlantic, EP=Eastern Pacific), NN=sequence number, YYYY=year).

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Watches/Warnings and News Section

This section contains important news as well as any Watches and/or Warnings (hurricane and/or tropical storm) that have been issued or discontinued for coastal areas.

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Storm Location Section

This section contains the location of the storm center in latitude and longitude with the issuance date/time of the product and an estimate of the accuracy, in nautical miles, of the position based on the type, quality, and resolution of the fix platform used.

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Storm Movement Section

This section details the current motion of the storm in knots or nautical miles per hour (1 knot = 1.15 mph), with the direction expressed in terms of 16 compass points and to the nearest 5 degrees (true) of azimuth (e.g. 360°=North, 90°=East, 180°=South, and 270°=West).

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Minimum Central Pressure Section

This section gives the minimum central pressure of the storm in millibars. Whenever a storm is only threatening the U.S., the wind speed in km/hour is usually discontinued. Although central pressure is not a hazard it can sometimes be an indicator of future changes in intensity. Strengthening oftentimes follows a decrease in pressure while weakening generally follows an increase in the pressure.

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Eye Size Estimate Section

This section gives an estimate of the diameter of the eye of the tropical cyclone based on aircraft reconnaissance and/or radar data.

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Max Sustained Wind, Wind Radii, and 12-Foot Wave Height Radii Section
This section gives the maximum sustained 1-minute wind speed, gusts, and map coordinates that indicate the extent of the wind field and the wave field. Wind quadrant values are quadrant radii for several wind values (if present): tropical storm force winds (34 knots), storm force winds (50 knots), and hurricane force winds (64 knots). The map coordinates are in compass directions radiating out from the center of the storm along the direction and distance in nautical miles as indicated. For example:
64 KT. . . . . . 105NE   90SE   40SW   70NW.
means that winds of 64 Knots (74 MPH) are possible anywhere within that quadrant out to 105 Nautical Miles (121 Miles) Northeast, 90 Nautical Miles (104 Miles) Southeast, 40 Nautical Miles (46 Miles) Southwest, and 70 Nautical Miles (81 Miles) Northwest, of the estimated center of the storm.

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Repeat Section

This section repeats the current center location and the location from the last advisory as a check against transmission errors and to assist mariners in charting the storm's movement. This section also contains the actual location of the storm 3 hours prior to the time of the advisory (in this case, the center at 1200Z or 8AM EDT / 7AM CDT on the 11^th was 27.0°N 71.0°W).

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12-Hour Forecast Section

This section gives the 12-hour forecast for the tropical cyclone's position, the maximum sustained wind and gusts, and an estimate of the size of the wind field using the same threshold wind values as in the Wind and Wave Radii section. As before, the map coordinates of the wind field are compass directions and radial distances out from the center of the storm in nautical miles.

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24-Hour Forecast Section

This section gives the 24-hour forecast for the tropical cyclone's position, the maximum sustained wind and gusts, and an estimate of the size of the wind field using the same threshold wind values as in the Wind and Wave Radii section. As before, the map coordinates of the wind field are compass directions and radial distances out from the center of the storm in nautical miles.

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36-Hour Forecast Section

This section gives the 36-hour forecast for the tropical cyclone's position, the maximum sustained wind and gusts, and an estimate of the size of the wind field using the same threshold wind values as in the Wind and Wave Radii section. As before, the map coordinates of the wind field are compass directions and radial distances out from the center of the storm in nautical miles.

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48-Hour Forecast Section

This section gives the 48-hour forecast for the tropical cyclone's position, the maximum sustained wind and gusts, and an estimate of the size of the wind field using the same threshold wind values as in the Wind and Wave Radii section. As before, the map coordinates of the wind field are compass directions and radial distances out from the center of the storm in nautical miles. Please note that 64 knot (hurricane force) wind radii are never provided at this forecast time period.

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72-Hour Forecast Section

This section gives the 72-hour forecast for the tropical cyclone's position, the maximum sustained wind and gusts, and an estimate of the size of the wind field using the same threshold wind values as in the previous section. The map coordinates of the wind field are compass directions and radial distances out from the center of the storm in nautical miles, as in the Wind and Wave Radii section. In the example the storm was forecast to move inland and drop in intensity to tropical storm strength by Day 4. Please note that 64 knot (hurricane force) wind radii are never provided at this forecast time period.

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96-Hour Forecast Section

This section gives the 96-hour extended forecast for the tropical cyclone's position, the maximum sustained wind and gusts, and an estimate of the size of the wind field using the same threshold wind values as in the previous section. The map coordinates of the wind field are compass directions and radial distances out from the center of the storm in nautical miles, as in the Wind and Wave Radii section. Additional notes on track errors are added for the 96 and 120 hour forecasts. In the example the storm was forecast to become extratropical as it fell below tropical storm strength. Due to significant uncertainties, wind radii are never provided for this forecast time period.

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120-Hour Forecast Section

This section gives the 120-hour extended forecast for the tropical cyclone's position, the maximum sustained wind and gusts, and an estimate of the size of the wind field using the same threshold wind values as in the Wind and Wave Radii section. As before, the map coordinates of the wind field are compass directions and radial distances out from the center of the storm in nautical miles. In the example the storm was forecast to become extratropical as it fell below tropical storm strength. Due to significant uncertainties, wind radii are never provided for this forecast time period.

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Request for Ship Reports

This section is a request for ship reports from any vessels in the general vicinity of the tropical cyclone.

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Next Advisory Section

This section gives the scheduled release time of the next advisory, which will always be 6 hours after the actual time of this product (i.e. 0300Z, 0900Z, 1500Z, and 2100Z).

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