...EYE OF HURRICANE OPHELIA OBSERVED ON BERMUDA RADAR...
SUMMARY OF 200 PM AST...1800 UTC...INFORMATION
----------------------------------------------
LOCATION...30.4N 62.9W
ABOUT 170 MI...275 KM SE OF BERMUDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...120 MPH...195 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...N OR 360 DEGREES AT 21 MPH...33 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...952 MB...28.11 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
--------------------
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY...
NONE.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT...
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR...
* BERMUDA
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO BERMUDA...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS
ISSUED BY THE BERMUDA WEATHER SERVICE.
TROPICAL STORM WATCHES OR WARNINGS COULD BE REQUIRED FOR A PORTION
OF THE AVALON PENINSULA IN NEWFOUNDLAND LATER TODAY.
DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
------------------------------
AT 200 PM AST...1800 UTC...THE EYE OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 30.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.9 WEST. OPHELIA IS
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 21 MPH...33 KM/H. ON THIS TRACK THE
CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL PASS EAST OF BERMUDA LATER TODAY. A
TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST SHOULD BEGIN ON SUNDAY WITH AN INCREASE
IN FORWARD SPEED. OPHELIA IS FORECAST TO BE NEAR AND TO THE SOUTH
OF THE AVALON PENINSULA IN NEWFOUNDLAND ON MONDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 120 MPH...195 KM/H...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY
TODAY...BUT A GRADUAL WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN ON SUNDAY.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 40 MILES...65 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205
MILES...335 KM MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 952 MB...28.11 INCHES. A
DRIFTING BUOY NEAR THE EYE OF OPHELIA REPORTED A MINIMUM PRESSURE
OF 959.7 MB...28.34 INCHES...A FEW HOURS AGO.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
----------------------
WIND...TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ON BERMUDA BY THIS
AFTERNOON.
SURF...LARGE SWELLS CREATED BY OPHELIA WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS SURF
CONDITIONS ALONG THE SOUTH-FACING BEACHES OF BERMUDA.
RAINFALL...RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1 INCH CAN BE EXPECTED
ON BERMUDA IN ASSOCIATION WITH OPHELIA.
NEXT ADVISORY
-------------
NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY...500 PM AST.
$$
FORECASTER AVILA
**This information should not be used to make life or death decisions.
For official warnings and statements tune to your local broadcast stations
or visit http://weather.gov
