NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL152017
500 PM AST Tue Sep 19 2017
…POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE MARIA EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR
THE U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS TONIGHT AND OVER PUERTO RICO ON
WEDNESDAY…
…PREPARATIONS AGAINST LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND RAINFALL
FLOODING AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION…
SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST…2100 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…16.8N 64.0W
ABOUT 80 MI…130 KM SE OF ST. CROIX
ABOUT 175 MI…285 KM SE OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…165 MPH…270 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WNW OR 300 DEGREES AT 10 MPH…17 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…916 MB…27.05 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
The Meteorological Service of the Bahamas has issued a Hurricane
Watch for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas.
The Meteorological Service of Antigua has discontinued the Tropical
Storm Warning for Antigua and Barbuda.
The Meteorological Service of Barbados has discontinued the
Hurricane Warning for Dominica.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* British Virgin Islands
* Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques
* Cabo Engano to Puerto Plata
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Saba and St. Eustatius
* St. Maarten
* Anguilla
* Guadeloupe
* West of Puerto Plata to the northern border of the Dominican
Republic and Haiti
* West of Cabo Engano to Punta Palenque
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* Saba and St. Eustatius
* St. Maarten
* St. Martin and St. Barthelemy
* Anguilla
* Isla Saona to Cabo Engano
* Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected
somewhere within the warning area. Preparations to protect life and
property should be rushed to completion.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area.
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible
within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before
the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds,
conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
Interests elsewhere in Hispaniola and the Bahamas should monitor the
progress of Maria. Additional watches and warnings may be required
tonight or Wednesday.
For storm information specific to your area in the United
States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please
monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service
forecast office. For storm information specific to your area outside
the United States, please monitor products issued by your national
meteorological service.
DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Maria was located
near latitude 16.8 North, longitude 64.0 West. Maria is moving
toward the west-northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h), and this general
motion is expected to continue through Wednesday night. On the
forecast track, the eye of Maria will move near or over the U. S.
Virgin Islands tonight, cross Puerto Rico on Wednesday, and then
pass just north of the coast of the Dominican Republic Wednesday
night and Thursday.
Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft
indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 165 mph (270 km/h)
with higher gusts. Maria is a potentially catastrophic category 5
hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some
fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or so, but
Maria is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous category 4 or 5
hurricane as it moves near or over the Virgin Islands and Puerto
Rico. Slow weakening is expected after the hurricane emerges over
the Atlantic north of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles
(220 km).
The latest minimum central pressure reported by the Hurricane
Hunter aircraft is 916 mb (27.05 inches).
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/69525-hurricane-maria-advisory-number-15
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