Tropical Storm Charley 5 am Wed Aug 11

[TVMet]

BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY ADVISORY NUMBER 8
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
5 AM EDT WED AUG 11 2004

...CHARLEY APPROACHING JAMAICA...NEW HURRICANE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
ISSUED...

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...A HURRICANE WATCH IS ISSUED FOR THE FLORIDA
KEYS FROM DRY TORTUGAS TO CRAIG KEY. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT
HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY
WITHIN 36 HOURS.

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS HAS
ISSUED A HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE CAYMAN ISLANDS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR
JAMAICA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE SOUTHWEST
PENINSULA OF HAITI FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BORDER WESTWARD
INCLUDING PORT-AU-PRINCE.

TROPICAL STORM AND/OR HURRICANE WARNINGS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR
PORTIONS OF CUBA LATER TODAY.

AT 5 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CHARLEY WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 74.7 WEST OR ABOUT
160 MILES... 255 KM...EAST-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA.

CHARLEY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 24 MPH
...39 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT
24 HOURS...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TO THE NORTHWEST.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH...100 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24
HOURS...AND CHARLEY COULD BECOME A HURRICANE DURING THE NEXT DAY OR
SO.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES
...185 KM FROM THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 999 MB...29.50 INCHES.

ABOVE NORMAL TIDES...ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING
WAVES...ARE LIKELY ALONG THE COASTS OF JAMAICA TODAY...AND THE
CAYMAN ISLANDS TONIGHT.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE LIKELY IN ASSOCIATION WITH
CHARLEY.

REPEATING THE 5 AM EDT POSITION...16.9 N... 74.7 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 24 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED
WINDS... 65 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 999 MB.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...PLEASE MONITOR
PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 11 AM EDT.

FORECASTER FRANKLIN/KNABB


http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT03/refresh/AL0304W+GIF/110853W.gif

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT/FLOAT2/IR4/20.jpg

[divinggirl]

Zuiderdam was going to Grand Cayman today, but with the hurricane warning issued, it's probably safe to say they are sailing AWAY... :( Wonder where they're going, I would think East since that's towards HMC anyway...

[divinggirl]

Sorry , somehow became a double post :confused:

[spcl4cs_gal]

Unless she is going to Cayman as scheduled but departing earlier than the regular 6pm time. That forecast seems to say that stuff won't be happening at GC until this evening. Guess they will have to make a decision soon if they have not already make one. :(

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

Since Grand Cayman is a tendering port, the waters may be too rough to tender.

:)

[spcl4cs_gal]

My thoughts exactly KK. Sharon from Native Way is supposed to phone me today to finalize Stingray City...I'll ask her about the weather and whether she knows if the Z is there or not.

[Sage]

Thanks TVMet for keeping us informed. I think that all eyes will be focused on our double punch and the effects it will have on the cruising this weekend.

[NOCANDOO]

How long do the storms usually last? We are leaving next Sat. 8/21 from FLL. Should I be worried?

[elmorejj]

Whatever happened to TS Bonnie? where did she go?.....jean :confused:

[spcl4cs_gal]

Sharon from Native Way just called me...she said on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being great), Grand Cayman is a 9 today with sun and very little wind. Charley has been reported as heading directly over Cayman Brac (sorry for this spelling if it is incorrect) and will only bring rain and a bit of wind to Grand Cayman...at least that is what's being reported right now down there. Apparently Jamaica is getting hit and a lot of ships that were scheduled to sail to Jamaica have diverted to GC. The Zuiderdam, sailing from Cozumel, did NOT go to GC as scheduled today so they must have hightailed it to the Bahamas...head office must have told them not to try anything risky. Apparently Native Way had a lot of PAX on the Zuiderdam who had booked with them today too...gotta blame Mother Nature for this one I guess. :(

[spcl4cs_gal]

How long do the storms usually last? We are leaving next Sat. 8/21 from FLL. Should I be worried?

NOCANDO I highly doubt that Charley or Bonnie will still be around on the 21st. However, it's really hard to say what's lined up behind these two storms in the Atlantic right now. :(

[MDL1771]

If a ship has to skip a port due to a storm, do they always find another place to go or do they extend their stay at another port or do you just get another day at sea. We are sailing October 2nd on the Zuiderdam, right in the middle of storm season.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

As a rule when there is a storm in the area, the captain will start adjusting his course to steer clear of the storm which usually means skipping a port and having another sea day.

Passenger safety is the first concern.

:)

[DFD1]

We had to abandon GC after arriving just offshore on a january cruise on the Oosterdam. We "steamed" on toward HMC and just accumulated an extra day at sea along the way. It seems to me that the tendering situation at GC is particularily sensitive to the wind and weather. I have heard of others who arrived there only to move on because of difficult tendering conditions.