…LARGE HURRICANE IKE HEADING TOWARD THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF
MEXICO…

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THE
MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER WESTWARD TO EAST OF CAMERON LOUISIANA. A
TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

A HURRICANE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM CAMERON LOUISIANA WESTWARD
TO PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN
THE WATCH AREA BY LATE FRIDAY.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA…INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS…PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 700 AM CDT…1200Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 25.3 NORTH…LONGITUDE 88.0 WEST OR ABOUT 575 MILES…920
KM…EAST OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS AND ABOUT 270 MILES…435 KM…
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH…16 KM/HR.
A GENERAL WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN
GULF OF MEXICO IS EXPECTED TODAY AND FRIDAY. ON THIS TRACK THE
CENTER WILL BE APPROACHING THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST
LATE FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH…160 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE…AND IT COULD INTENSIFY INTO A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE OVER
THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

IKE IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES…185 KM…FROM THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 255 MILES…410 KM.

AIR FORCE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT REPORT THAT THE MINIMUM
CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 945 MB…27.91 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE
LEVELS…ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES…CAN BE
EXPECTED WITHIN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA. ABOVE NORMAL
TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ARE EXPECTED ELSEWHERE ALONG MUCH OF THE
NORTHERN COAST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO DURING THE NEXT DAY OR
SO…BUT WILL BE INCREASING ALONG THE WESTERN GULF COAST AS IKE
APPROACHES.

IKE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES OVER
SOUTHERN LOUISIANA AND THE EXTREME NORTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA.

REPEATING THE 700 AM CDT POSITION…25.3 N…88.0 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD…WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…100
MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…945 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 1000 AM CDT.

$
FORECASTER FRANKLIN