[FLARES] HURRICANE WILFRED INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 17A

[kg5qd@wxsvr.net]

This is an Exercise Message - Repeating this is only an Exercise

ZCZC MIATCPAT2 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC 261800
BULLETIN
HURRICANE WILFRED INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 17A
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
2 PM AST SAT APR 26 2003

..DRILL! RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT CONFIRMS THAT WILFRED IS A MAJOR
HURRICANE... 
 
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LESSER ANTILLES FROM ST.
LUCIA NORTHWARD AND THEN NORTHWESTWARD TO THE BRITISH AND U.S.
VIRGIN ISLANDS.
 
HURRICANE WARNING COULD BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION OF THIS AREA LATER
TODAY.  A HURRICANE WATCH MAY ALSO BE EXTENDED WESTWARD.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PUERTO RICO ADVISES THAT
SMALL CRAFT AROUND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS...CULEBRA AND VIEQUES
SHOULD NOT VENTURE FAR FROM PORT.

AT 2 PM AST...1800Z...THE EYE OF HURRICANE WILFRED WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 15.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 53.5 WEST OR ABOUT 510 MILES... 
820 KM...EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES.
 
WILFRED HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH 
..30 KM/HR...DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS. A GENERAL WEST TO WEST-
NORTHWEST TRACK IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TROUGH SUNDAY.  ON THIS
TRACK...THE HURRICANE WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE LESSER ANTILLES ON
SUNDAY.
 
PRELIMINARY REPORTS FROM THE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE INDICATE THAT THE
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS.  SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  45 MILES... 75 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 200 MILES...325 KM.
 
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY THE AIR FORCE PLANE WAS
949 MB...28.02 INCHES.
 
REPEATING THE 2 PM AST POSITION...15.4 N... 53.5 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...125
MPH.  MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 949 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
5 PM AST.

AVILA
 
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The Forecast/Advisory for this Time is available at:
http://wxsvr.net/tmp/261800m.txt
Also a graphical aprs plot of the Forecast is at:
http://wxsvr.net/tmp/261800.png

This is an Exercise Message - Repeating this is only an Exercise