Hurricane Isabel

Forecast Advisory 31

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000
WTNT33 KNHC 132023
TCPAT3
BULLETIN
HURRICANE ISABEL ADVISORY NUMBER 31
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 PM AST SAT SEP 13 2003

...ISABEL STRENGTHENS BACK INTO A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE...

AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE CENTER OF DANGEROUS HURRICANE ISABEL WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 22.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.6 WEST OR ABOUT
375 MILES...600 KM...NORTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO.

ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR...
AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24
HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS MEASURED BY AIR FORCE RESERVE AND NOAA
HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT ARE NEAR 160 MPH...260 KM/HR...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES ISABEL A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH
ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...150 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 175 MILES...280 KM.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY MEASURED BY AN AIR FORCE
RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 932 MB...27.52 INCHES.

LARGE OCEAN SWELLS AND DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OVER
PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...PUERTO RICO
...AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.

REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...22.6 N... 62.6 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS...160 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 932 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
AT 11 PM AST.

FORECASTER STEWART