THUNDER BAY – WEATHER – Hurricane Arthur continues to gain power as the storm churns in the Atlantic Ocean offshore of the Carolinas. Hurricane Arthur is moving toward the north-northeast near 10 mph…17 km/h. A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected today…followed by a further increase in forward speed tonight and Friday. On the forecast track…the core of Arthur is expected to approach the coast of North Carolina in the Hurricane Warning area tonight.
Corrected forward speed in summary block to 10 mph
…Arthur strengthens as it heads toward the North Carolina coast…
Summary of 1100 am EDT…1500 UTC…information
———————————————–
location…32.4n 78.5w
about 260 mi…415 km SW of Cape Hatteras North Carolina
about 110 mi…175 km SSW of Cape Fear North Carolina
maximum sustained winds…90 mph…150 km/h
present movement…NNE or 15 degrees at 10 mph…17 km/h
minimum central pressure…981 mb…28.97 inches
Watches and warnings
changes with this advisory…
None.
Summary of watches and warnings in effect…
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* Surf City North Carolina to the North Carolina/Virginia border
* Pamlico Sound
* eastern Albemarle Sound
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* Little River Inlet to south of Surf City
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* South Santee River South Carolina to south of Surf City
* the North Carolina/Virginia border to Cape Charles Light
Virginia…including the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay
* western Albemarle Sound
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. Any deviation of the forecast track to the left…or an increase in the forecast size of Arthur would likely require the issuance of hurricane warnings for all or part of the Hurricane Watch area.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.
Interests along the United States East Coast north of the warning area…primarily in southeastern New England…should monitor the progress of Arthur.
Interests in Nova Scotia should monitor the progress of Arthur. For storm information specific to your area…including possible inland watches and warnings…please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.
Discussion and 48-hour outlook
At 1100 am EDT…1500 UTC…the center of Hurricane Arthur was located near latitude 32.4 north…longitude 78.5 west. Arthur is moving toward the north-northeast near 10 mph…17 km/h. A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected today…followed by a further increase in forward speed tonight and Friday. On the forecast track…the core of Arthur is expected to approach the coast of North Carolina in the Hurricane Warning area tonight.
Data from NOAA and Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph…150 km/h…with higher gusts. Some additional strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours…and Arthur is expected to be a category two hurricane when it passes over or near the North Carolina coast. Arthur is expected to begin weakening Friday night and is forecast to become a Post-tropical cylone Saturday.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles…35 km…from the center…and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles…185 km.
The latest minumum central pressure estimated from reconnaissance aircraft data is 981 mb…28.97 inches.
Hazards affecting land
Wind…tropical storm conditions are expected to reach and spread northward through the tropical storm and Hurricane Warning areas later today and tonight. Hurricane conditions are expected within portions of the Hurricane Warning area by tonight. Hurricane-force winds are possible in the Hurricane Watch area beginning this evening.
Storm surge…the combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide… North Carolina within the Hurricane Warning area…3 to 5 ft Pamlico and Albemarle sounds…2 to 4 ft southern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina…1 to 3 ft extreme southeastern Virginia…1 to 2 ft
The highest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore flow. The surge will be accompanied by large and damaging waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle…and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area…please see products issued by your local National Weather Service office and the new experimental potential storm surge flooding map for more details.
Rainfall…rainfall accumulations of 3 to 5 inches…with isolated maximum amounts of 7 inches…are expected over coastal areas of North Carolina through Friday. Rainfall accumulations of 1 to 2 inches are possible along the upper coast of South Carolina.
Tornadoes…isolated tornadoes are possible over portions of coastal North Carolina through tonight.
Surf…swells generated by Arthur are affecting areas from the east-central coast of Florida northward to South Carolina. These swells are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents.
For more information…please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.
Next advisory
————-
next intermediate advisory…200 PM EDT.
Next complete advisory…500 PM EDT.
$$
Forecaster Brown
