HURRICANE IRENE – update #3

Another day, another shift east in the long-range forecast of HURRICANE IRENE.

For those people living on or near the coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, this news keeps getting better as it looks more and more likely that the hurricane will miss the U.S. entirely.

As of right now HURRICANE IRENE is about 50 miles north-northwest of the Dominican Republic and still tracking west-northwest at around 10 knots.  The storm has continued to strengthen and now has a minimum pressure of 980 mb with maximum sustained winds of 85 knots (100 mph) with gusts up to 105 knots.  Right now the hurricane is a Category 2 storm.

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HURRICANE IRENE is still on track to march through the entire chain of islands in the Bahamas before making its turn to the northwest and then north to open water.  The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, warns of the hurricane continuing to strength, but a split in the weather models questions just how much the hurricane will strengthen within the next 24-48 hours.

It was also reported that the models are in consensus for HURRICANE IRENE‘s forecast through the Bahamas, but as far as days four and five in the forecast, it’s still almost anybody’s guess at this point.  What is known is that the upper-level trough moving across the U.S. is expected to weaken the subtropical ridge in the next day or two, allowing the hurricane to make a turn to the north.  After that it’s still a bit of a guess IF the storm will strike any portion of the continental U.S.

HURRICANE WARNINGS are in effect through the entire Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos islands.

A HURRICANE WATCH is still in effect for the northern coast of Haiti.

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS are still in effect for the northern coast of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.