Hurricane PALOMA

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HURRICANE PALOMA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER   9A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL172008
700 PM EST FRI NOV 07 2008
 
...DANGEROUS MAJOR HURRICANE PALOMA CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN AS IT 
SLOWLY APPROACHES GRAND CAYMAN...
 
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.
PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO
COMPLETION.

A HURRICANE WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE CUBAN PROVINCES OF
SANCTI SPIRITUS...CIEGO DE AVILA...CAMAGUEY AND LAS TUNAS. 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.
 
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR 
THE CUBAN PROVINCE OF GRANMA.  A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS.  A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL
STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE
NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN CUBA AND THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS SHOULD
CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF PALOMA.
 
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
 
AT 700 PM EST...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE PALOMA WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 18.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 81.1 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES...
50 KM...SOUTH OF THE EASTERN END OF GRAND CAYMAN AND ABOUT 275
MILES...440 KM...SOUTHWEST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA.
 
PALOMA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH...9 KM/HR. A
GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST IS FORECAST TO OCCUR OVERNIGHT AND
THAT GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF PALOMA WILL PASS NEAR GRAND CAYMAN 
TONIGHT...BE NEAR CAYMAN BRAC SATURDAY MORNING...AND BE APPROACHING
THE COAST OF CENTRAL CUBA LATE SATURDAY.
 
DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE UNIT HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT
INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 115
MPH...185 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. PALOMA IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
POSSIBLE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.  AFTERWARD...GRADUAL WEAKENING
IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY LATE SATURDAY.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES...35 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 120
MILES...195 KM.  DURING THE PAST HOUR...SEVERAL REPORTS OF SUSTAINED
WINDS NEAR 60 MPH...97 KM/HR...WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 80 MPH...130
KM/HR...HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM AMATEUR/HAM RADIO OPERATORS ON
GRAND CAYMAN.
 
THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE AS ESTIMATED FROM AIR FORCE
RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT DATA IS 962 MB...28.41 INCHES.
 
STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 5 TO 7 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...
ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...IS EXPECTED
NEAR THE CENTER OF PALOMA IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.  STORM SURGE
FLOODING OF 8 TO 12 FEET IS EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE
THE CENTER OF PALOMA MAKES LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTH COAST OF CUBA.
 
PALOMA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO
10 INCHES OVER THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AND CENTRAL AND EASTERN CUBA WITH
ISOLATED MAXIMUM TOTALS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. FLASH FLOOD AND
MUDSLIDES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER TERRAIN.
 
REPEATING THE 700 PM EST POSITION...18.9 N...81.1 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...115
MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...962 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER 
AT 1000 PM EST.
 
$$
FORECASTER STEWART
 
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