FVXX20 KWBC 222340
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VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT
ISSUED 2340 UTC 22 MAR 1999 BY THE WASHINGTON VAAC
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SOUFRIERE HILLS 99-057    WEST INDIES 16.72N 62.18W  
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BACKGROUND:    SOUFRIERE HILLS  MONTSERRAT (1600-05)
               SUMMIT HEIGHT  3000 FT (915 M)
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SOURCES OF INFORMATION: GOES-8 INFRARED AND MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY.
MONTSERRAT VOLCANO OBSERVATORY. 1200 UTC GUADELOUPE SOUNDING.  
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ERUPTION DETAILS: ASH VENTING EVENT AROUND 22/2230 UTC.
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DETAILS OF ASH CLOUD:  THE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY CALLED WITH A REPORT
OF ANOTHER EVENT AROUND 22/2230 UTC BUT BECAUSE OF CLOUD COVER THEY
COULD NOT ESTIMATE THE HEIGHT OF THE ASH. SATELLITE IMAGERY THOUGH
22/2315 UTC HAS BE UNABLE TO DETECT ANY ASH FROM THIS EVENT. THERE
ARE SOME THIN HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS MOVING EAST ACROSS THE AREA AND
THESE WOULD MASK A LOW LEVEL ASH CLOUD BUT IF IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT
EVENT TO SAY OVER FL200 THE MULTISPECTRAL IMAGERY WOULD MOST LIKELY
DETECT THE ASH. THEREFOR WE ARE GOING TO ASSUME THE EVENT TO BE LIKE
THE EARLIER EVENT TODAY AND BE BELOW FL100. WE WILL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THE AREA AND IF ASH IS DETECTED IN IMAGERY A UPDATE WILL BE
ISSUED BEFORE THE NEXT STATEMENT IS DUE IN 6 HOURS.   
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TRAJECTORY: ASH BELOW FL100 WILL MOVE WEST TO NORTHWEST AROUND 15 TO
20 KNOTS. ASH BETWEEN FL180 AND FL300 WILL MOVE EAST AROUND 20 TO 50
KNOTS.
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THIS AND OTHER VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENTS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY
A MAP DEPICTING ASH LOCATION ARE AVAILABLE AT INTERNET URL ADDRESS
www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/messages.html
(all lower case except /VAAC/)
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OUTLOOK: SEE SIGMETS.
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THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 23/0530. 
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PLEASE REFER TO SIGMETS FOR CURRENT WARNINGS.
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