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BULLETIN
HURRICANE BONNIE ADVISORY NUMBER  21
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
5 PM EDT MON AUG 24 1998
...ADD PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS TO WATCH AREA...
...HURRICANE WATCH ISSUED FOR U.S. COAST...
 
AT 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED FROM SAVANNAH
GEORGIA TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER...INCLUDING THE
PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS.
 
A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN
THE WATCH AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.
 
RESIDENTS WITHIN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD FOLLOW INFORMATION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS.
 
ALSO...AT 5 PM EDT...2100 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS
DOWNGRADED THE HURRICANE WARNING TO A TROPICAL STORM WATCH FOR THE
CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND DOWNGRADED THE HURRICANE WATCH TO A TROPICAL
STORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS.
 
AT 5 PM EDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE BONNIE WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 26.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE  72.9 WEST.  THIS POSITION IS
ABOUT 640 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAVANNAH GEORGIA AND ABOUT THE SAME
DISTANCE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.
 
BONNIE IS MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY WITH SOME
INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS.  SOME FLUCTUATIONS MAY OCCUR BUT LITTLE SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY...AND BONNIE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A
POWERFUL HURRICANE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

BONNIE IS A LARGE HURRICANE.  HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD
UP TO  85 MILES...140 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM...MAINLY TO THE
NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST OF THE CENTER.
 
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS  963 MB...28.44 INCHES.
 
SOME RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH BONNIE CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE BAHAMAS...PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS.

LARGE SWELLS ARE PROPAGATING WELL AHEAD OF THE HURRICANE AND ARE
IMPACTING PORTIONS OF THE U.S. SOUTHEAST COAST.  SEE STATEMENTS FROM
LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES.
 
REPEATING THE 5 PM EDT POSITION...26.3 N... 72.9 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR  6 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115 MPH. 
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 963 MB.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 8 PM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 PM
EDT.
 
PASCH
 
STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE
FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT2 AND WMO HEADER WTNT72 KNHC.
 
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