HURRICANE GUSTAV TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL072008
210 AM EDT SAT AUG 30 2008
DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT
GUSTAV CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN AND NOW HAS MAXIMUM WINDS NEAR 100
MPH...155 KM/HR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS MAKES GUSTAV A CATEGORY TWO
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE.
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FORECASTER BLAKE/AVILA
He appears to be continuing to intensify as of this post and is now only 10 mph in wind speed away from being a major category 3 hurricane on the Saffir Simpson scale. This may very well be the case when we all wake up in the morning. Gustav is still expected to make a landfall on the western tip of Cuba. This landmass may serve to temporary halt intensification or even weaken him, but once over the Southern Gulf, Gustav has a chance at becoming a category 4 hurricane (131-155 mph). The consensus is then for Gustav to move NW towards the central Gulf Coast west of New Orleans making landfall possibly as a category 3. The reason for the possible weakening is cooler waters in the northern Gulf Of Mexico. One needs to note that hurricanes go through cycles that can serve to weaken them even though conditions are ripe for intensification. These cannot be predicted! For now here is a satellite image of Gustav.. the eye is hard to pick out but Hurricane Hunters have found a 30nm closed eyewall. More on Gustav and tropical storm hanna later today/
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