Hurricane Gustav to potentially hit the U.S. Gulf Coast
8:43 a.m. Tuesday, August 26, 2008
As of 8 a.m., Tuesday morning, Hurricane Gustav was located just off the southwest coast of Hati. Gustav has rapidly intensified from Monday morning's weak tropical storm state. Gustav will pose a wind and flash flooding threat for Hati, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica through the end of the week.
Gustav's northern and eastern outerbands will continue to pull over of islands of Hati and Cuba through much of the week. The interaction with land surfaces will help to decrease the chances of rapid intensification. Yet, with very warm Caribbean water's, a slow increase in intensity is expected. Gustav will likely be a strong Category 3 storm by the weekend.
Hurricane Gustav's projected path
Variability in storm path increases this weekend as Gustav enters the Gulf of Mexico. If Gustav enters the southern Gulf of Mexico, and then hits the Yucatan, it will weaken, before restrengthening. This path does not seem too likely. If Gustav enters the gulf, over Cuba, it may initially be a Category 2 storm, before rapidly intensifying. The most likely path will take Gustav between the Yucatan and Cuba. This is a potentially dangerous solution.
The waters over the Gulf of Mexico are warm and very favorable to support a Category 4 or 5 storm. Should winds high up stay light and favorable, Gustav will likely strengthen into a Category 4 or 5 storm before making landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast. The sea surface temperatures around the mouth of the Mississippi River, near New Orleans, are the coolest. If temperatures stay cool, this may help to weaken Gustav slightly before landfall, that is if it moves towards New Orleans.
At this point, it is nearly impossible to determine where it will hit along the Gulf Coast. What is certain, is that Gustav will likely become the first major storm of 2008 hurricane season, so far. All interests along the U.S. Gulf Coast should continue to monitor forecasts on this potentially dangerous and life-threatening storm.
Stay tuned to the Channel 49 Storm Team for the latest, and most in-depth, analysis of Hurricane Gustav.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)