Hurricane Wilma Intermediate Advisory Number 35b Statement as of 3:00 am EDT on October 24, 2005 ...Wilma slightly stronger...headed for the southwest coast of Florida... a Hurricane Warning remains in effect for all of the Florida Keys... including the Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay...along the Florida West Coast from Longboat Key southward... and along the Florida East Coast from Titusville southward... including Lake Okeechobee. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect along the Florida West Coast north of Longboat Key to Steinhatchee river...and along the Florida East Coast north of Titusville to St. Augustine. A tropical storm watch remains in effect along the northeast coast of Florida from north of St. Augustine to Fernandina Beach. A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the Cuban provinces of Ciudad de la Habana...la Habana...and Pinar del Rio. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the Isle of Youth. A Hurricane Watch remains in effect for the province of Matanzas. These warnings and watches will likely be later this morning. A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the northwestern Bahamas...including the Abacos...Andros Island...Berry Islands... Bimini...Eleuthera...Grand Bahama Island...and New Providence. For storm information specific to your area...including possible inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued by your local weather office. The previous position estimate was a little too far to the east. At 3 am EDT...0700z...the large eye of Hurricane Wilma was located near latitude 25.1 north... longitude 82.8 west or about 75 miles west-northwest of Key West Florida and about 95 miles southwest of Naples Florida. Wilma is moving toward the northeast near 20 mph... and a continued increase in forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours. On this track the center will make landfall along the southwestern coast of the Florida Peninsula later this morning. However...this is a large hurricane and wind gusts to hurricane force have already spread over portions of the lower Florida Keys. The eastern portion of the eyewall... accompanied by the strongest winds... will reach the southwestern coast of Florida about 2 hours before the center of the large eye makes landfall. Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph...with higher gusts. Wilma is a category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. No significant change in strength is expected until landfall. Some weakening is likely as Wilma crosses the southern Florida Peninsula today. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 230 miles. A wind gust to 76 mph was recently reported at Key West. The estimated minimum central pressure is 954 mb...28.17 inches. Storm surge flooding of 9 to 17 ft above normal tide levels is possible along the southwest Florida coast near and to the south of where the center of Wilma makes landfall. Storm surge flooding of 5 to 8 ft above normal is possible in the Florida Keys and Florida Bay... as well as in Lake Okeechobee. Storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet is possible along the extreme southeastern coast of Florida. Wilma may produce additional rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches through today across portions of western Cuba. Rainfall across southern Florida and portions of central Florida... including the Florida Keys is expected to be 4 to 8 inches... with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches possible. Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches will be possible over portions of the northwest Bahamas. Large swells generated by Wilma will continue to affect portions of the northeastern Gulf Coast from the Florida Keys northward today. Some tornadoes are possible over portions of the central and southern Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys this morning. Repeating the 3 am EDT position...25.1 N... 82.8 W. Movement toward...northeast near 20 mph. Maximum sustained winds...120 mph. Minimum central pressure... 954 mb. The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 5 am EDT. Forecaster Pasch
$#@%&!!!
Where's Hunble now? I'd like him to tell us again how this is a rather minor, weakening storm!
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 157 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 AMZ630-650-651-670-671-FLZ067-068-071>074-240800- BISCAYNE BAY- COASTAL WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM JUPITER INLET TO DEERFIELD BEACH, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM DEERFIELD BEACH TO OCEAN REEF, FL EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO THE TERRITORIAL WATERS OF THE BAHAMAS-PALM BEACH WESTERN- PALM BEACH EASTERN-WESTERN BROWARD-BROWARD METROPOLITAN- WESTERN DADE-DADE METROPOLITAN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BELLE GLADE...WEST PALM BEACH... MICCOSUKEE INDIAN RESERVATION...FORT LAUDERDALE...SHARK VALLEY... MIAMI 157 AM EDT MON OCT 24 2005 ...GUSTS TO TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH OVER SOUTHEAST FLORIDA... AT 150 AM...THE OUTER RAINBANDS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST INTO MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES...ENTERING INTO PALM BEACH COUNTY AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH ALONG WITH TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AS THESE STORMS MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE THROUGH THE MORNING AS HURRICANE WILMA MOVES ONSHORE. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO REMAIN IN THEIR PLACE OF SHELTER AND NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. $$