Tropical cyclone public advisories are intended for the general public in areas threatened by a tropical storm or hurricane. These products follow a standard format that provides the following information:

• A lead statement that highlights significant aspects of the storm
• Watches and Warnings issued
• Storm location and motion
• Wind and intensity
• Expected storm surge
• Actions to be taken
• Associated events (e.g., rainfall, tornadoes, etc.)
• The forecaster's name

Initial tropical cyclone public advisories are issued when data confirms that a tropical cyclone has developed. After that, the other scheduled advisories are issued at 6-hour intervals.

Special tropical cyclone public advisories are issued when

• Conditions require that a hurricane or tropical storm watch or warning be issued
• A significant change has occurred requiring a revised forecast package

Intermediate tropical cyclone public advisories are issued every 3 hours once a watch or warning has been issued and every 2 hours once a reliable center appears on radar. These intermediate advisories update the earlier advisories when a tropical cyclone affects, or is forecasted to affect, a coast. These intermediate advisories are not used to issue watches or warnings but may be used to clear all or a portion of a watch or warning area.

The example below is from Hurricane Georges (1998).

ZCZC MIATCPAT2
TTAA00 KNHC 230900
BULLETIN
HURRICANE GEORGES ADVISORY NUMBER 32
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT WED SEP 23 1998

...HURRICANE CONDITIONS CONTINUE OVER HISPANIOLA...THREATENS CUBA...THE BAHAMAS AND SOUTH FLORIDA...

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA...FROM DEERFIELD BEACH SOUTHWARD ON THE EAST COAST...AND FROM BONITA BEACH SOUTHWARD ON THE WEST COAST...INCLUDING THE FLORIDA KEYS. THIS INCLUDES MONROE...MIAMI DADE...BROWARD AND COLLIER COUNTIES.

THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE PROVINCE OF SANCTI SPIRITUS EASTWARD TO CAMAGUAY AND NOW INCLUDES ALL OF CUBA FROM SANCTI SPIRITUS EASTWARD. A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE PROVINCES OF VILLA CLARA...CIENFUEGOS AND MATANZAS...

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 73.3 WEST. THIS POSITION IS OVER THE WINDWARD PASSAGE ABOUT 120 MILES...195 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GUANTANAMO BAY CUBA AND ALSO ABOUT 640 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA.

GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH ...24 KM/HR ...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. THIS TRACK WILL BRING THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN CUBA AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS TODAY. DO NOT FOCUS ON THE PRECISE LOCATION AND TRACK OF THE CENTER. THE HURRICANES DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND RAINS COVER A WIDE SWATH.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS PARTICULARLY OVER HIGH ELEVATIONS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...WHILE THE HURRICANE IS OVER WATER.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES... 95 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 986 MB...29.12 INCHES.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES. THIS RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA.

REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...19.5 N... 73.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 986 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 AM EDT.

LAWRENCE

STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC.