Hurricane Irene Update Eight

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WTNT34 KNHC 252349
TCPAT4

BULLETIN
HURRICANE IRENE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 22A
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092011
800 PM EDT THU AUG 25 2011

...EYE OF IRENE GRADUALLY MOVING AWAY FROM ABACO ISLAND IN THE
BAHAMAS...

AT 800 PM EDT...0000 UTC...THE EYE OF HURRICANE IRENE WAS LOCATED

NEAR LATITUDE 27.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.4 WEST. IRENE IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/H. THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TONIGHT WITH A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH FRIDAY.
ON THE FORECAST TRACK...IRENE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE
NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS TONIGHT...AND THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE WILL
PASS WELL OFFSHORE OF THE EAST COAST OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
FLORIDA LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY. THE HURRICANE IS FORECAST
TO APPROACH THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA ON SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 115 MPH...185 KM/H...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. IRENE IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND
FRIDAY.

IRENE IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES...130 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 290 MILES...465 KM.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM AN AIR FORCE
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 946 MB...27.93 INCHES.