...ISABEL BECOMES A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE...
AT 5 AM AST...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 16.9 NORTH... LONGITUDE 41.4 WEST OR ABOUT 1350
MILES...2170 KM...EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.
ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH
...26 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR
THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. ISABEL HAS BEEN GETTING STRONGER AND IS NOW A CATEGORY 2 ON
THE SAFFIR/SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
FORECAST AND ISABEL COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE IN THE NEXT DAY
OR SO.
