AN A320 DIVERTING AROUND TSTMS ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB RESULTING IN AIRSPD FLUCTUATIONS OF PLUS OR MINUS 25 KTS AND ALT FLUCTUATIONS OF PLUS OR MINUS 800 FT; WITH APPARENTLY MINOR PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT INJURIES.

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IN CRUISE FROM OLDEY AR3 TO ILM; ZMA CLRED US DIRECT TO ILM WITH CLRNC TO DEVIATE W FOR WX. FO STARTED TO DEVIATE 10 DEGS L OFF COURSE. WE PARALLELED THE COURSE 20-25 NM W UPWIND WELL CLR OF WX; NOTHING PAINTING AHEAD ON THE RADAR EXCEPT FOR WX E OF THE ORIGINAL TRACK. THE RIDE WAS SMOOTH AND SEATBELT SIGN WAS OFF. SUDDENLY WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE-SEVERE TURB DURATION 15-20 SECONDS; OUR AIRSPD +/-25 KTS AND ALT +/-800 FT. I TURNED ON THE SEATBELT SIGN IMMEDIATELY THEN RETURNED MY ATTN TO MAINTAINING CTL OF THE ACFT. ONCE THINGS SETTLED DOWN; I CALLED THE PURSER TO CHK ON EVERYONE; SHE INFORMED ME 3-5 PAX BUMPED THEIR HEADS ON THE OVERHEAD BINS AND BOTH FLT ATTENDANTS IN COACH BUMPED THEIR HEADS ON THE CEILING AND ALSO HIT THE SEATS. ONE FLT ATTENDANT COULD NOT CONTINUE TO WORK SO I TOLD HER TO TAKE A SEAT AND SHE LATER VOMITED. I TOLD IAD STATION TO HAVE CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR AND PARAMEDICS TO MEET US AT GATE TO LOOK AT THE PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT. THE DSCNT; APCH; LNDG AND TAXI WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 703251: CIRCUMNAVING CONVECTIVE WX AREA TO THE W ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. ACFT FLT PATH WAS GREATER THAN 25 NM FROM ANY RADAR ECHO AND ON THE UPWIND SIDE. ATC WAS NOTIFIED AND OTHER ACFT WERE VECTORED AWAY FROM AREA OF SEVERE TURB. OTHER FLT DETAILS INCLUDED: POS: 10 WNW PERIE. ALT: FL390; ALT LOST=800 FT BOTTOMING OUT FL382; DURATION 5 SECONDS; RECOVERY WITHIN 1 MIN. AIRSPD: +/-25 KTS (.78 MACH CRUISE; APPROX 245 KTS DOWN TO 220 KTS). G LOAD: 0-1.5; NO OVERSPD OR OVER-G. LASTLY; NOTHING PAINTING ON WX RADAR WITH TILT DOWN -1.00 DEGS AT 80 MI RANGE. RADAR HAD BEEN WORKING ACCURATELY ALL DAY (SECOND LEG WITH SAME ACFT) WITH NO KNOWN DEFECTS. NO KNOWN HUMAN FACTORS OR ACFT SYS ISSUES NOTED AND ACFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT IAD.