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TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE FOUND TO BE STRONGER (See the NOAA National Hurricane Center for the latest information on this storm. Complete advisories are posted at 11 a.m., 5 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. All times are Eastern. Advisories are posted more frequently as the storm nears the USA mainland.) July 8, 2003 � At 11 p.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Claudette was located near latitude 15.2 north, longitude 73.1 west or about 310 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. Claudette is moving toward the west near 25 mph, and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours with a gradual decrease in forward speed thereafter, according to the NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Tropical Storm Claudette taken at 11:15 p.m. EDT on July 8, 2003. Please credit “NOAA.”)
Data from a reconnaissance plane indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast, and Claudette could become a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean sea.
Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles to the north of the center. The latest minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunting aircraft was 1000 mb, 29.53 inches. (Click NOAA tracking map for larger view of Tropical Storm Claudette.)
Above normal tides accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves may occur along the south coast of Jamaica. Storm total rainfalls of 3 to 6 inches may occur along the path of Claudette. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Jamaica. At 11 p.m. EDT, the government of the Cayman Islands issued a tropical storm warning for Grand Cayman. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by NOAA National Weather Service local forecast offices. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation�s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Relevant Web Sites
NOAA National Hurricane Center — Get the latest advisories here
NOAA Atlantic Hurricanes Database — 150 Years of Atlantic Hurricanes
NOAA Forecasters Say Six to Nine Hurricanes Could Threaten in 2003
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
NOAA River Forecast Centers
NOAA Flood Products
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24-hour Observed Precipitation as of 8 a.m. today
Latest rainfall data as of 8 a.m. EDT today
NOAA Buoys NOAA Tides Online
NOAA Satellite Images — The latest satellite views
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NOAA Hurricanes Page
NOAA's Storm Watch — Get the latest severe weather information across the USA Media Contact:
Frank Lepore, NOAA Hurricane Center, (305) 229-4404
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