BULLETIN Hurricane Florence Advisory Number 42 NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL062018 500 PM AST Sun Sep 09 2018
...NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER FINDS FLORENCE STRENGTHENING... ...FORECAST TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE ON MONDAY...
SUMMARY OF 500 PM AST...2100 UTC...INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------- LOCATION...24.4N 57.0W ABOUT 720 MI...1160 KM SE OF BERMUDA ABOUT 580 MI...935 KM NE OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH...140 KM/H PRESENT MOVEMENT...W OR 270 DEGREES AT 7 MPH...11 KM/H MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...975 MB...28.80 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Interests in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic states should monitor the progress of Florence.
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK ---------------------- At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the center of Hurricane Florence was located near latitude 24.4 North, longitude 57.0 West. Florence is moving toward the west near 7 mph (11 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today. A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected by Monday, and that motion is forecast to continue through mid-week. On the forecast track, the center of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern coast of the United States on Thursday.
Aircraft and satellite data indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Florence is forecast to rapidly strengthen to a major hurricane by Monday, and is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through Thursday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km). Florence is forecast to become larger over the next few days.
The estimated minimum central pressure from NOAA Hurricane Hunter and satellite data is 975 mb (28.80 inches).