Hi
Here is the latest on Ike as of 1000 this morning… I hope this is of some help. I also just got off the conference call with the NWS and the State of Texas… You need to be prepared for a very serious threat to our State.
IKE now in the SE Gulf of Mexico.. reorganizing
Ike, which was once a small storm, is now reorganizing and growing in size in the SE Gulf.. Top winds are now up to 90 MPH with a central pressure of 957 mb, down 13 mb since yesterday. The storm is generally moving WNW however it appear to be moving more to the north in the last few hours as it reorganizes. The official forecast is for the storm to move WNW and then a bit more westward as the high pressure system to the north builds westward. This is not a powerful high pressure ridge and it exact strength and westward extent will determine the final landfall point of Ike.
Looking at the model plots… They are in better agreement than late yesterday when the HWRF and European suggested a turn to the north before landfall. This is still possible and that is why the entire coastline of Texas is being threatened. The climate models seem to want to track more to the northern Gulf.
Regarding intensity, as we mentioned yesterday, the forecast takes Ike over very warm waters. That is why we still think Ike can make Cat 4 status and residents of that state should prepare accordingly.
Elsewhere in the tropics, The remains of Josephine are starting to appear again NE of the Leeward Islands.
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