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HURRICANE GERT ADVISORY NUMBER  18
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL
5 PM AST WED SEP 15 1999

...POWERFUL GERT REACHES 150 MPH WINDS...
 
AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE CENTER OF POWERFUL HURRICANE GERT
WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE  50.7 WEST
OR ABOUT 725 MILES...1165 KM...EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.
 
GERT IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 13 MPH...20 KM/HR. A GRADUAL
TURN TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED ON THURSDAY. ON THIS TRACK
GERT..WILL PASS WELL NORTH OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.
 
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR
...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  THIS MAKES GERT A VERY STRONG CATEGORY FOUR
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON SCALE. AN AIR FORCE PLANE WILL REACH
GERT EARLY THURSDAY. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY
DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.
 
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES... 75 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 175 MILES...280 KM.
 
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS  930 MB...27.46 INCHES.
 
REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...17.6 N... 50.7 W.  MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST NEAR 13 MPH.  MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...150 MPH. 
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 930 MB.
 
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
11 PM AST.
 
AVILA
 
STRIKE PROBABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ADVISORY NUMBER CAN BE
FOUND UNDER AFOS HEADER MIASPFAT4 AND WMO HEADER WTNT74 KNHC.
 
 
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