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#7408 (Received by flhurricane at: 1:06 PM 04.Sep.2004) TCPAT1 BULLETIN HURRICANE FRANCES ADVISORY NUMBER 43 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 11 AM EDT SAT SEP 04 2004 ...FRANCES HEADING FOR FLORIDA...WEATHER EXPECTED TO WORSEN... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS 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. AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS EXTENDED NORTHWARD ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST TO ALTAMAHA SOUND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO ALTAMAHA SOUND. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM NORTH OF FLAGLER BEACH TO FERNANDINA BEACH. AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS EXTENDED NORTHWARD ALONG THE FLORIDA WEST COAST TO ANNA MARIA ISLAND. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA PENINSULA ...ON THE WEST COAST...FROM ANNA MARIA ISLAND AROUND THE SOUTHERN END OF THE PENNISULA TO JUST SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY ON THE SOUTHEAST COAST...AND FOR THE MIDDLE AND UPPER KEYS FROM SOUTH OF FLORIDA CITY TO THE SEVEN MILE BRIDGE...AND FOR FLORIDA BAY. AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED NORTHWARD ALONG THE THE FLORIDA WEST COAST TO ST. MARKS. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE FLORIDA WEST COAST TO JUST NORTH OF ANNA MARIA ISLAND TO ST. MARKS. AT 11 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED BY RADAR AND RECONNAISSANCE NEAR LATITUDE 26.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 78.8 WEST OR ABOUT 80 MILES... 130 KM...EAST OF PALM BEACH FLORIDA. FRANCES HAS BEEN DRIFTING BETWEEN THE WEST AND WEST-NORTHWEST DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS BUT IS EXPECTED TO RESUME A WEST-NORTHWEST TRACK NEAR 5 MPH... 7 KM/HR TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE LARGE EYE OF HURRICANE FRANCES WILL BE VERY NEAR THE FLORIDA EAST COAST BY LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS... STRONGER WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN GUSTS...ARE POSSIBLE ON HIGH RISE BUILDINGS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM. STRONG WINDS ARE ALREADY AFFECTING THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA AND WILL BE SPREADING INLAND...WHERE WARNINGS FOR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS HAS BEEN ISSUED. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. A WIND GUST OF 91 MPH WAS REPORTED AT JUPITER INLET AT 9 AM EDT AND A WIND GUST OF 70 MPH WAS REPORTED AT BOYNTON BEACH AT 1020 AM EDT. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS 961 MB...28.38 INCHES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED ON THE WEST SIDE OF ISLANDS OF THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED IN LAKE OKEECHOBEE. ALONG THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST...STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF THE PATH OF FRANCES. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD REACH 20 INCHES IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS...ARE EXPECTED OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA IN ASSOCIATION WITH FRANCES. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA TODAY. SWELLS GENERATED BY FRANCES ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. THESE SWELLS COULD CAUSE DANGEROUS SURF AND RIP CURRENTS. REPEATING THE 11 AM EDT POSITION...26.9 N... 78.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 961 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 2 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 5 PM EDT. FORECASTER AVILA |