WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, has asked us to alert amateurs that it will be monitoring its HF andEchoLink/IRLP station later today and early tomorrow, September 17, as Hurricane Karl approaches the coast of Mexico. As of Thursday afternoon, Karl was aCategory 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, but it was expected to strengthen before making landfall.

The following is from WX4NHC:

We request all land based stations as well as ships at sea in the areas affected to send us weather data (measured or estimated) and damage reports.Please do not venture outside during the hurricane to gather weather data. Your safety is the first priority. There are many constantly changing atmospheric variables that affect the storm's track and strength.

Please refer to the National Hurricane Center Advisories for official information. www.nhc.noaa.govEchoLink "WX-Talk" Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 will be monitored. www.voipwx.net

WX4NHC will also monitor CWOP, APRS and MADIS/MESONET Automated weather stations in the affected area.

Surface Reports using our On-line Hurricane Report form will be monitored.

Amateur Weather Enthusiasts and ON-NHC Volunteers may report directly to WX4NHC on-line.

http://www.wx4nhc.org/WX-form1.html

ON-NHC Volunteers are both Ham Radio Operators and Non-Ham weather observers that use their own weather instruments to submit "Surface Reports" directlyto NHC over the Internet via the WX4NHC on-line report form. These "Surface Reports" are very important as they give Hurricane Specialists at NHC a betteridea of what is actually happening on the ground level during the storm.

For more information on these programs, see the WX4NHC Group website at http://www.wx4nhc.org/