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| #7320 (Received by flhurricane at: 7:45 PM 03.Sep.2004) TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 40A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 8 PM EDT FRI SEP 03 2004 ...FRANCES WEAKENS SOME AS IT DRIFTS SLOWLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD... ...HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL PUMMEL THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS... A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A HURRICANE WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WATCH AND A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH NORTHWARD TO FERNANDINA BEACH. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER FLORIDA KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY SOUTHWARD TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY. AT 8 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.5 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES... 145 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF FREEPORT GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND AND 200 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE FLORIDA LOWER EAST COAST. FRANCES HAS BEEN DRIFTING SLOWLY TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 4 MPH...6 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HOWEVER...STEERING CURRENTS HAVE BECOME WEAK AND SOME ERRATIC MOTION CAN BE EXPECTED. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS TONIGHT...AND WILL BE NEAR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST ON SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...170 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES FRANCES A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM. DURING THE PAST HOUR...HAM RADIO OPERATORS AT ABACO ISLAND REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 70 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 88 MPH AT GEORGETOWN...AND SUSTAINED WINDS OF 80 MPH AT LITTLE HARBOR. THE SETTLEMENT POINT C-MAN STATION ON WESTERN GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND RECENTLY REPORTED A SUSTAINED WIND OF 52 MPH WITH A GUST TO 62 MPH ...AND A GUST TO 45 MPH WAS REPORTED AT THE LAKE WORTH FLORIDA C-MAN STATION. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY A HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE WAS 960 MB...28.35 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 12 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ALONG WITH DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THE EYE OF FRANCES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE OTHER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LAKE WATER LEVEL IS EXPECTED IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 7 TO 12 INCHES...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 20 INCHES... ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES OVER THE BAHAMAS. SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES WILL BE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS. REPEATING THE 8 PM EDT POSITION...25.9 N... 77.5 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 4 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 960 MB. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 PM EDT. FORECASTER STEWART |
