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#7132 (Received by flhurricane at: 1:48 PM 02.Sep.2004) TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE FRANCES INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 35A NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 2 PM AST THU SEP 02 2004 ...HURRICANE FRANCES POUNDING SAN SALVADOR ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS...HEADING FOR FLORIDA... A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA FROM FLORIDA CITY NORTHWARD TO FLAGLER BEACH...INCLUDING LAKE OKEECHOBEE. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER FLORIDA KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE INCLUDING FLORIDA BAY. A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALL THE 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. SATELLITE IMAGES...RADAR AND DATA FROM A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE INDICATE THAT AT 2 PM AST...1800Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.4 WEST...VERY NEAR SAN SALVADOR ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS AND 410 MILES...660 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF THE LOWER FLORIDA EAST COAST. FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH...20 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION WITH A TURN TO THE NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FRANCES REMAINS A DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 145 MPH...230 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM. SAN SALVADOR IN THE BAHAMAS JUST REPORTED 86 MPH WINDS...139 KM/HR. LONG ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 69 MPH...111 KM/HR. LATEST MINIMUM PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE PLANE WAS 949 MB...28.02 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 14 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THE EYE OF FRANCES ON THE WEST SIDE OF ELEUTHERA ISLAND...AND ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE OTHER ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 6 TO 11 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. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 20 INCHES... ARE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES. 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 2 PM AST POSITION...23.8 N... 74.4 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...145 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...949 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 5 PM AST. FORECASTER AVILA |