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| #46807 (Received by flhurricane at: 7:46 PM 18.Sep.2005) TCPAT3 BULLETIN TROPICAL STORM RITA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 4A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 8 PM EDT SUN SEP 18 2005 ...RITA GETTING MUCH BETTER ORGANIZED AND STRENGTHENING AS IT NEARS THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS... A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE FLORIDA KEYS FROM OCEAN REEF SOUTHWARD AND WESTWARD TO DRY TORTUGAS...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY. THE WATCH AREA WILL LIKELY BE UPGRADED TO A HURRICANE WARNING LATER TONIGHT. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. PORTIONS OF THIS WATCH AREA MAY BE UPGRADED TO A HURRICANE WARNING LATER TONIGHT. A HURRICANE WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE PROVINCES OF VILLA CLARA...MATANZAS...CIUDAD DE HABANA...LA HABANA...AND PINAR DEL RIO...AND A TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE PROVINCES OF CIEGO DE AVILA...SANCTI SPIRITUS...AND CIENFUEGOS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...AND FOR THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FLORIDA PENINSULA FROM DEERFIELD BEACH SOUTHWARD TO FLORIDA CITY AND CONTINUING WESTWARD TO EAST CAPE SABLE. THE WATCH AREA WILL LIKELY BE UPGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND POSSIBLY A HURRICANE WATCH LATER TONIGHT. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 8 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM RITA WAS REFORMING FARTHER NORTH NEAR LATITUDE 22.7 NORTH... LONGITUDE 72.9 WEST OR ABOUT 330 MILES ...530 KM... EAST-SOUTHEAST OF NASSAU. RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST OR WEST IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR LATER TONIGHT OR ON MONDAY. ON THIS TRACK...RITA WILL BE MOVING OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT AND MONDAY. REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE RECONNAISSANCE INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 50 MPH... 85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS... AND RITA COULD BECOME A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE BY LATE MONDAY. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES... 110 KM... MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY MEASURED BY AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE WAS 1005 MB...29.68 INCHES. RITA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES OVER MUCH OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS AND THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS...WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES. REPEATING THE 8 PM EDT POSITION...22.7 N... 72.9 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 50 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1005 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 PM EDT. FORECASTER STEWART |
