Dean Update

Here is an excerpt from the text of the 1:45 p.m. special advisory on Dean. Air Force reconnaissance measured a flight level wind of 124 miles per hour.

BULLETIN
HURRICANE DEAN SPECIAL ADVISORY NUMBER 18
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
AL042007145 PM AST FRI AUG 17 2007

…DEAN STRENGTHENS TO A MAJOR HURRICANE WITH 125 MPH WINDS…
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MARTINIQUE…DOMINICA…AND GUADELOUPE AND ITS DEPENDENCIES. THE WARNING WILL LIKELY BEDISCONTINUED LATER TODAY.

AT 145 PM AST…1745Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE DEAN WAS LOCATEDNEAR LATITUDE 14.8 NORTH…LONGITUDE 63.6 WEST OR ABOUT 175 MILES…280 KM…WEST OF MARTINIQUE AND ABOUT 300 MILES…480 KM…SOUTHEAST OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO.

DEAN IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 22 MPH…35 KM/HR…AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. ON THIS TRACK…DEAN WILL MOVEACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA TODAY.

SATELLITE IMAGES AND DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANEINDICATE THAT DEAN HAS STRENGTHENED. THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDSARE NOW 125 MPH…205 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DEAN IS A MAJOR CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES…35 KM…FROMTHE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185MILES…295 KM. BANDS OF HEAVY SQUALLS ARE STILL AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE LESSER ANTILLES AND ARE APPROACHING PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S.AND BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS.

$$FORECASTER AVILA/MAINELLI