Ophelia strengthens, now a category 3 hurricane

NEWS RELEASE

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTRE

************************* OPHELIA WITH 115 MPH WINDS, BECOMES THE THIRD MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE 2011 SEASON.

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR:

- BERMUDA

AT 1100 AM AST, 1500 UTC, THE EYE OF HURRICANE OPHELIA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.5 NORTH, LONGITUDE 62.8 WEST.

OPHELIA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH, 19 KM/H.

A TURN TO THE NORTH WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CORE OF OPHELIA IS EXPECTED TO PASS EAST OF BERMUDA ON SATURDAY.

SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 115 MPH, 185 KM/H, WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

OPHELIA IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE.

SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS FOLLOWED BY A GRADUAL WEAKENING.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES, 45 KM, FROM THE CENTER, AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES, 280 KM, MAINLY TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 960 MB...28.35 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

WIND - TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ON BERMUDA STARTING SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

SURF - LARGE SWELLS CREATED BY OPHELIA WILL CAUSE HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE BEACHES OF BERMUDA.

RAINFALL - RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1 INCH CAN BE EXPECTED ON BERMUDA IN ASSOCIATION WITH OPHELIA.

*************************