Hurricane PALOMA

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BULLETIN
HURRICANE PALOMA ADVISORY NUMBER   7
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL172008
400 AM EST FRI NOV 07 2008

...PALOMA STRENGTHENING...CONTINUING NORTHWARD TOWARD THE CAYMAN
ISLANDS...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. 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.
 
INTERESTS IN CUBA AND JAMAICA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF
PALOMA.  WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE NECESSARY FOR PORTIONS OF CUBA
LATER TODAY.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 400 AM EST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 17.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.7 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES...
175 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 255 MILES...410
KM...WEST OF MONTEGO BAY JAMAICA.
 
PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY.  A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE
NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.  ON THE FORECAST
TRACK...THE CENTER OF PALOMA WILL PASS NEAR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS LATE
FRIDAY OR EARLY SATURDAY.
 
REPORTS FROM AIR FORCE RESERVE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT
INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 80
MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  PALOMA IS A CATEGORY ONE
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
LIKELY AND PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE
LATER TODAY...AND POSSIBLY REACH CATEGORY 3 INTENSITY BY SATURDAY.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES...30 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70
MILES...110 KM.
 
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY THE AIR FORCE RESERVE
HURRICANE HUNTER IS 981 MB...28.97 INCHES.

STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED
NEAR THE CENTER OF PALOMA IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.
 
PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO
10 INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM
TOTALS OF 12 INCHES POSSIBLE.
 
REPEATING THE 400 AM EST POSITION...17.8 N...81.7 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 9 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...80 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...981 MB.
 
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER AT 700 AM EST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1000
AM EST.
 
$$
FORECASTER BEVEN
 
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