Hurricane Bill Spins to Category 4

POWERFUL HURRICANE BILL EXPECTED TO PASS WELL NORTH OF THE
LEEWARD ISLANDS…
INTERESTS IN THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS AND BERMUDA SHOULD MONITOR
THE PROGRESS OF BILL.
AT 1100 AM AST…1500 UTC…THE EYE OF HURRICANE BILL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 18.7 NORTH…LONGITUDE 56.3 WEST OR ABOUT 380 MILES…
610 KM…EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS AND ABOUT 1080 MILES
…1735 KM…SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA.
BILL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH…30 KM/HR.
THIS GENERAL TRACK IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY AND THURSDAY. A
GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTHWARD IS EXPECTED THEREAFTER.
DATA FROM A NOAA P-3 PLANE AND SATELLITE ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT THE
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 135 MPH…215 KM/HR…WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. BILL IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
BILL IS A LARGE HURRICANE AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD
UP TO 80 MILES…130 KM…FROM THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES…280 KM…PRIMARILY TO
THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER.
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT WAS 950 MB…28.05 INCHES.
LARGE SWELLS ASSOCIATED WITH BILL WILL BE IMPACTING THE ISLANDS OF
THE NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN SEA DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. LARGE
SWELLS ASSOCIATED WITH BILL SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO AFFECT BERMUDA AND
PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.
…SUMMARY OF 1100 AM AST INFORMATION…
LOCATION…18.7N 56.3W
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…135 MPH
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WEST-NORTHWEST OR 300 DEGREES AT 18 MPH
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…950 MB
THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
500 PM AST.