There is a status update on Hurricane Bill. His vitals as of this afternoon:
Center located at 16.6N, 52.2W; moving WNW @ 16mph; maximum sustained winds of 110mph; minimum central pressure of 962mb.
Those winds mean Hurricane Bill is a borderline Category2/Category3 storm. At this point, this difference boils down to semantics. 111mph sustained winds are the threshold for a Category 3 storm. The practical difference between 110mph and 111mph winds? Negligible at best.
The NHC continues to forecast an upgrade to Category 3 statues by 2AM tomorrow morning EDT. They should designate it as a Cat-3 this afternoon; tonight at the latest.
The official intensity forecast has been updated as a result. Hurricane Bill is now forecasted to become a Category-4 storm by this time tomorrow. That’s an impressive acknowledgment of a favorable storm environment and a robust storm taking advantage of its environment. All the intensity models forecast a continuation in intensification through the next 36-48 hours, after which a gradual but persistent weakening should occur through the end of the forecast period.
