18Z Tropical Update

HURRICANE EARL FORECAST 4A
TROPICAL FORECAST CENTER
2:03 PM EDT SUNDAY AUGUST 29, 2010

HURRICANE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR...ANTIGUA...BARBUDA...MONTSERRAT...ST. KITTS...NEVIS...AND ANGUILLA
SAINT MARTIN AND SAINT BARTHELEMY
ST. MAARTEN...SABA...AND ST. EUSTATIUS

HURRICANE WATCHES AND TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR...BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
PUERTO RICO INCLUDING THE ISLANDS OF CULEBRA AND VIEQUES

HURRICANE WARNINGS MEAN THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED...GENERALLY WITHIN 12 TO 24 HOURS. ALL PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

HURRICANE WATCHES MEAN THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 TO 48 HOURS.

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS MEAN THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED...GENERALLY WITHIN 12 TO 24 HOURS.

AREAS FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC TO NEW ENGLAND NEED TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS STORM DURING THE NEXT 4 TO 5 DAYS.

AT 2:00 PM EDT/1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE EARL WAS LOCATED BY HURRICANE HUNTERS NEAR 17.4 N 58.9 W OR 190 MILES EAST OF ANTIGUA. EARL IS MOVING TO THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 15 MPH...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT A SLOWER RATE OF SPEED. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...EARL WILL APPROACH THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS THIS EVENING INTO MONDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MPH...EARL IS A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FURTHER STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED AND EARL WILL BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BY TUESDAY. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE BY HURRICANE HUNTERS IS 978 MB/28.88 IN.

THE NEXT COMPLETE FORECAST UPDATE WILL BE AT 5 PM EDT.


JACKSON