EDOUARD STRONGER BUT STILL MOVING LITTLE

September 3, 2002 — At 11 a.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Edouard was located near latitude 30.3 north, longitude 78.6 west or about 180 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla. Edouard has been meandering, but a slow motion to the west-southwest or southwest is expected to begin later Tuesday or Tuesday night, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm Edouard taken at 11:15 a.m. EDT on Sept. 3, 2002. Click here to see latest view. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Reports from an Air Force Reserve unit reconnaissance aircraft indicate that Edouard has strengthened, and maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph with higher gusts. This strengthening trend is not expected to continue Tuesday, and slight weakening is more likely to occur over the next 24 hours.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center. The minimum central pressure is 1003 mb, 29.62 inches.

A tropical storm watch remains in effect from Flagler Beach to Fernandina Beach, Fla. An extension of the watch area southward may be required later Tuesday.

Edouard is the fifth named tropical storm of the 2002 Atlantic hurricane season. He follows Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal and Dolly. Dolly is still present in the Atlantic. So far no tropical storm has reached hurricane status this season.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices.

Click NOAA tracking map for larger view.

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Frank Lepore, NOAA's National Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404