I noticed that the hydrometeorological (sp?) prediction center, not the NHC, issued the 11 am advisories and is scheduled to issue the 5 pm. I've never seen that with a depression at sea, and it seems particularly odd for a depression that still has the potential to head in the general direction of the Bahamas or U.S. over the next week. I've only seen the HPC issue advisories once a storm/depression has been inland for a time.

Is this standard practice? Or is there something about Irene, its weak state, its forecast track, or something else that made her a candidate for this?

Maybe I am just an idiot (well, I know the answer to that one) who hasn't noticed that this is done all the time.