1. Paulette is expected to approach Bermuda as a hurricane todayand will be near the island tonight and Monday. A prolongedperiod of strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall is expectedon Bermuda beginning this evening, and a hurricane warning is ineffect for the island. Preparations to protect life and propertyshould be rushed to completion.

2. Swells produced by Paulette are affecting portions of theLeeward Islands, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Bermuda, andthe east coast of the United States. These swells could causelife-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

None.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
- Bermuda

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 12 to 24 hours. Tropicalstormforce winds that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous are expected to reach Bermuda this afternoon or evening. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

For storm information specific to your area, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service.

Key messages for Paulette can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT2, WMO header WTNT42 KNHC, and on the web at https://www.hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT2.shtml.

WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected to reach Bermuda late tonight. Winds are expected to first reach tropical storm strength within the next couple of hours, making outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

STORM SURGE: A dangerous storm surge is expected to produce significant coastal flooding on Bermuda in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

RAIN: Paulette will bring periods of heavy rain to Bermuda through Monday, with rainfall of 3 to 6 inches expected.

SURF: Swells generated by Paulette are affecting portions of the Leeward Islands, the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the east coast of the United States. These swells are likely to cause lifethreatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.

At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Paulette was located near latitude 30.6 North, longitude 63.1 West. Paulette is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph (22 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the north with a decrease in forward speed is forecast on Monday, followed by a faster northeastward motion Monday night and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Paulette will move near or over Bermuda Monday morning.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Paulette is expected to be a dangerous hurricane when it approaches Bermuda late tonight and early Monday. Some further strengthening is possible when Paulette turns northeastward and moves away from Bermuda late Monday through Monday night.

Hurricaneforce winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 974 mb (28.77 inches).

Paulette has recovered from the dry air intrusion that was eroding the eastern eyewall this morning. A ring of deep convection with cloud tops ranging from about -50 to -65 C now completely surrounds a partially cleared eye. An Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft investigating the hurricane earlier this afternoon measured peak flight-level winds of 84 kt, which reduces to about 67 kt at the surface. However, since that time there has been steady improvement in the satellite presentation, and the latest Dvorak satellite T-numbers from TAFB and SAB are now at 4.5, supporting increasing the initial intensity to 75 kt for this advisory. Paulette is expected to remain in a low-shear environment over warm SSTs for the next 24-36 h, so gradual strengthening is likely during that time. Around 48 h from now, vertical wind shear is forecast to rapidly increase ahead of an approaching mid- upper level trough. This should cause the cyclone to begin weakening. By 72 h, Paulette is expected to be over waters less that 26 degrees C and should remain over cooler waters for the remainder of the forecast period. Around that same time, global models are indicating that the cyclone will begin to interact with a frontal boundary associated with the aforementioned trough. This should induce a gradual transition of Paulette to an extratropical cyclone, and that transition should be completed by 120 h, if not sooner. The latest NHC intensity forecast is little changed from the previous one and shows Paulette continuing to strengthen as it passes near or over Bermuda early Monday. The forecast also shows Paulette becoming a major hurricane by Monday night, after the cyclone has moved away from Bermuda. This intensity forecast is in good agreement with the HFIP corrected consensus, HCCA.

Paulette is moving northwestward at 11 kt, to the southwest of a mid-level ridge. There is no change to the forecast track reasoning. This northwest motion should continue until just after the cyclone passes Bermuda Monday morning. Later on Monday, the hurricane should turn north, then northeastward, as it rounds the periphery of the ridge. After turning northeastward, the cyclone is expected to accelerate as it gets picked up in the mid-latitude flow ahead of the approaching trough. Later on in the forecast period a slower eastward motion is indicated once the trough bypasses the cyclone. The latest NHC forecast was nudged only slightly to the left of the previous one, and is in agreement with tightly clustered global and regional track guidance. Tropical storm conditions should reach Bermuda in the next couple of hours, with hurricane force winds arriving there overnight.