1. Strong, damaging wind gusts, which could cause tree damage andpower outages, will continue to spread eastward across portions of the Carolinas and southeastern Virginia through this afternoon due to Zeta's fast forward speed.

2. Through today, heavy rainfall is expected near and in advance of Zeta from portions of the Ohio Valley, into the central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic. This rainfall may lead to flash, urban, small stream, and isolated minor river flooding.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

Key messages for Zeta can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3, WMO header WTNT43 KNHC, and on the web at www.hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT3.shtml.

WIND: Damaging winds, especially in gusts, continue to spread across portions of South Carolina and North Carolina. These winds will spread into southeastern Virginia during the next few hours.

RAINFALL: Areas of heavy rainfall, both in advance of Zeta and along the track of Zeta, will impact areas from the central Appalachians, MidAtlantic and lower to middle Ohio Valley through Thursday. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected across these areas, resulting in possible flash, urban, small stream, and isolated minor river flooding.

TORNADOES: A tornado or two is possible today across the Carolinas and southern Virginia.

At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Zeta was located near latitude 36.5 North, longitude 81.5 West. Zeta is moving toward the northeast near 48 mph (78 km/h). An even faster northeastward motion is expected later today, followed by a rapid eastnortheastward motion tonight and Friday. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will move across the MidAtlantic states this afternoon, and emerge over the western Atlantic by tonight.

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Zeta is expected to become a nontropical galeforce low later today. The low should become absorbed by a frontal system over the western Atlantic by Friday night.

Tropicalstormforce winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km) from the center. A sustained wind of 38 mph (61 km/h) and a gust to 51 mph (82 km/h) were recently reported at the Greensboro Piedmont Triad International Airport.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 990 mb (29.24 inches).

Zeta continues to move rapidly over land, and its maximum sustained winds are estimated to be near 45 kt over the southeastern quadrant, with thew highest winds occuring over elevated locations. The wind gust factor continues to be higher than usual due to the interaction with land.Zeta continues to accelerate northeastward and is now moving near 055/42 kt. The cyclone should accelerate some more ahead of a strong 500-mb trough moving into the eastern United States over the next day or so. The official track forecast is in reasonable agreement with the global model predictions.

The pressure pattern of Zeta is becoming distorted, and starting to take on an extratropical appearance as the cyclone begins to interact with a nearby frontal system. By this afternoon, the global models indicate that the system will become a frontal low and thus extratropical. Some short-term baroclinic strengthening is possible over the western Atlantic, but the guidance suggests that the system will become absorbed into the frontal zone in 36 hours or so.