GOVERNMENT OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
Meteorological Services
V. C. Bird International Airport
P.O. Box 1051
St. John’s, ANTIGUA W.I.
Telephone: (268) 462-3229; 462-3017; 462-0930
Fax: (268) 462-4606 Email: metoffice@candw.ag
Hotline: 463-4-MET
10 PM MONDAY 30TH AUGUST 2004
...POWERFUL HURRICANE FRANCES CONTINUES WESTWARD...
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING LEEWARD ISLANDS BY THEIR GOVERNMENTS...ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...ST MAARTEN... ANGUILLA...NEVIS...ST KITTS...ST EUSTATIUS AND SABA. THE GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE ISSUED. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ST.MARTIN AND ST .BARTHELEMY. THE GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE WILL LIKELY UPGRADE THIS WATCH TO A WARNING LATER TODAY.
AT 10 PM EDT...0200Z...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PUERTO RICO...CULEBRA ,,,.VIEQUES U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS INCLUDING ST THOMAS...ST JOHN AND SURROUNDING ISLANDS...AND FOR THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.
AT 5PM.. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ST.CROIX.
AT 10PM AST...0200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FRANCES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 60.7 WEST OR ABOUT 190 MILES... 355 KM...NORTH-NORTH-EAST OF ANTIGIA
FRANCES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MPH ...22 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24HOURS. ON THIS TRACK THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL PASS TO THE NORTH OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY. HOWEVER THE OUTER BANDS OF FRANCES WILL BEGIN AFFECTING THESE ISLANDS IN A FEW HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 125 MPH...205 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY COULD OCCUR DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 948 MB...27.99 INCHES.
BASED UPON THE LATEST POSITION AND FORECAST TRACK, FRANCES CONTINUES TO MOVE WESTWARD. ON IT'S FORECAST TRACK, FRANCES IS EXPECTED TO PASS 190MILES NORTH OF ANTIGUA , 165 MILES NORTH OF BARBUDA AND 110 MILE NORTH-NORTHEAST OF ANGUILLA BETWEEN 2AM TUESDAY. THE PRESENT POSITION PLACES ALL OF THE LEEWARD AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS OUT OF THE ZONE OF HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. HOWEVER TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OVER ANGUILLA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING. THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING FOR ANTIGUA&BARBUDA AND ST KITTS&NEVIS WILL LIKELY BE DOWNGRADED TO A WATCH ON THE NEXT OFFICIAL ADVISORY AT 5AM
SPIRAL BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH FRANCES COULD GENERATE HEAVY SHOWERS, THUNDERSTORMS AND GUSTY WINDS BETWEEN 30-40 MPH. A FLASH FLOODING WATCH IS NOW PLACEFOR LOW LYING AREAS AS RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF FRANCES
SEA CONDITIONS ARE ALREADY DETERIORATING, AND SWELLS COULD REACH AS HIGH AS 11 FEET. HENCE, SMALL CRAFTS OPERATORS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT AND SEEK SAFE ANCHORAGE .
ALL RESIDENTS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR BATTERING DOWN; HOWEVER, PERSONS SHOULD SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS AROUND THEIR PROPERTIES.
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