Weather in the NEWS

Hurricane season continues - now its GEORGES

Designated 1998 Atlantic Storm names

Alex
Bonnie
Charley
Danielle
Earl
Georges
Hermine
Ivan
Jeanne
Karl Lisa
Mitch
Nicole
Otto
Paula
Richard
Shary
Tomas
Virginie
Walter

Names are used in sequence with a new set being chosen each year. Names in blue had already been used by the end of September.

The 1998 hurricane season has now seen several hurricanes battering the West Indian islands and the south eastern coast of the USA. On September 24th, Hurricane Georges (seen in GOES image above) was tracking across Puerto Rico and heading towards the Florida Keys (the string of islands at the southern tip of Florida). With 108 fatalities from this hurricane so far, emergency services in Florida were preparing for the worst and advising residents and tourists to leave the threatened areas.
Hurricane Georges - advisory notice from Miami weather service

WTNT32 KNHC 240858 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES ADVISORY NUMBER 36 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 AM EDT THU SEP 24 1998 ...GEORGES STILL OVER EASTERN CUBA... AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA...FROM DEERFIELD BEACH SOUTHWARD ON THE EAST COAST AND FROM BONITA BEACH SOUTHWARD ON THE WEST COAST...INCLUDING THE FLORIDA KEYS. THIS INCLUDES MONROE...MIAMI DADE...BROWARD AND COLLIER COUNTIES. A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FFORM STUART TO DEERFIELD BEACH ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST AND FROM SOUTH OF LONGBOAT KEY SOUTHWARD TO BONITA BEACH ON THE FLORIDA WEST COAST. THIS INCLUDES PALM BEACH...MARTIN...SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES. A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CUBA FROM THE PROVINCE OF SANCTI SPIRITUS EASTWARD AND FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THE HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW EXTENDED TO THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CUBA FOR THE PROVINCES OF VILLA CLARA...CIENFUEGOS AND MATANZAS. HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE DISCONTINUED FOR HAITI. INTERESTS THERE SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CAYMAN BRAC...AND LITTLE CAYMAN ISLAND...AND IS DISCONTINUED FOR JAMAICA. AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.7 WEST. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 75 MILES ...120 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA AND ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER WILL CONTINUE MOVING NEAR THE NORTHERN COAST COAST OF CUBA FOR MOST OF TODAY. DO NOT FOCUS ON THE PRECISE LOCATION AND TRACK OF THE CENTER. THE HURRICANES DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND RAINS COVER A WIDE SWATH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS IN A FEW SQUALLS TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST LATER TODAY WHEN THE CENTER OF GEORGES IS FORECAST TO MOVE BACK OVER WATER. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES... 55 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 155 MILES...250 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 992 MB...29.29 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA. REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...21.1 N... 76.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 992 MB.

For details of current Atlantic storm conditions and Hurricane updates visit the US National Weather service sites:

US National Weather Service - Tropical Storm information

US NWS at Tallahassee, Florida - current and predicted storm track, damage reports, buoy observations etc.

National Hurricane Center

US national hurricane information centre, run by NOAA

Please note: These sites may be very busy during hurricane alert periods

Hurricane Scale

Hurricane intensities are now graded according to observations of the conditions within the storm.
Category	Pressure mb	Maximum Wind speed (mph)	Storm surge(ft)	Damage prediction
Depression		less than 39
Storm		39 - 73
Hurricane 1	above 980	74 - 95	4 - 5	Minimal
Hurricane 2	965 - 980	96 - 110	6 - 8	Moderate
Hurricane 3	945 - 965	111 - 130	9 - 12	Extensive
Hurricane 4	920 -945	131 - 155< 39	13 - 18	Extreme
Hurricane 5	below 920	more than 155	more than18	Catastrophic

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane scale

An earlier news pages is also available: Summer 98, information about conditions in June and July.

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Page update: September 1998

	Designated 1998 Atlantic Storm names
	Alex Bonnie Charley Danielle Earl Georges Hermine Ivan Jeanne Karl	Lisa Mitch Nicole Otto Paula Richard Shary Tomas Virginie Walter
	Names are used in sequence with a new set being chosen each year. Names in blue had already been used by the end of September.
The 1998 hurricane season has now seen several hurricanes battering the West Indian islands and the south eastern coast of the USA. On September 24th, Hurricane Georges (seen in GOES image above) was tracking across Puerto Rico and heading towards the Florida Keys (the string of islands at the southern tip of Florida). With 108 fatalities from this hurricane so far, emergency services in Florida were preparing for the worst and advising residents and tourists to leave the threatened areas. Hurricane Georges - advisory notice from Miami weather service
WTNT32 KNHC 240858 TCPAT2 BULLETIN HURRICANE GEORGES ADVISORY NUMBER 36 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 AM EDT THU SEP 24 1998 ...GEORGES STILL OVER EASTERN CUBA... AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...A HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH FLORIDA...FROM DEERFIELD BEACH SOUTHWARD ON THE EAST COAST AND FROM BONITA BEACH SOUTHWARD ON THE WEST COAST...INCLUDING THE FLORIDA KEYS. THIS INCLUDES MONROE...MIAMI DADE...BROWARD AND COLLIER COUNTIES. A HURRICANE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FFORM STUART TO DEERFIELD BEACH ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST AND FROM SOUTH OF LONGBOAT KEY SOUTHWARD TO BONITA BEACH ON THE FLORIDA WEST COAST. THIS INCLUDES PALM BEACH...MARTIN...SARASOTA...CHARLOTTE AND LEE COUNTIES. A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CUBA FROM THE PROVINCE OF SANCTI SPIRITUS EASTWARD AND FOR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THE HURRICANE WARNING IS NOW EXTENDED TO THE NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CUBA FOR THE PROVINCES OF VILLA CLARA...CIENFUEGOS AND MATANZAS. HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE DISCONTINUED FOR HAITI. INTERESTS THERE SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CAYMAN BRAC...AND LITTLE CAYMAN ISLAND...AND IS DISCONTINUED FOR JAMAICA. AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GEORGES WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.7 WEST. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 75 MILES ...120 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CAMAGUEY CUBA AND ABOUT 400 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA. GEORGES IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER WILL CONTINUE MOVING NEAR THE NORTHERN COAST COAST OF CUBA FOR MOST OF TODAY. DO NOT FOCUS ON THE PRECISE LOCATION AND TRACK OF THE CENTER. THE HURRICANES DESTRUCTIVE WINDS AND RAINS COVER A WIDE SWATH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...120 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS IN A FEW SQUALLS TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST LATER TODAY WHEN THE CENTER OF GEORGES IS FORECAST TO MOVE BACK OVER WATER. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES... 55 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 155 MILES...250 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 992 MB...29.29 INCHES. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...LOCALLY 20 INCHES OR MORE OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN...ARE LIKELY NEAR THE PATH OF GEORGES. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA. REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...21.1 N... 76.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 75 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 992 MB.
For details of current Atlantic storm conditions and Hurricane updates visit the US National Weather service sites: US National Weather Service - Tropical Storm information US NWS at Tallahassee, Florida - current and predicted storm track, damage reports, buoy observations etc. National Hurricane Center US national hurricane information centre, run by NOAA Please note: These sites may be very busy during hurricane alert periods