...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISABEL NOW AT CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY...
SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT HURRICANE ISABEL HAS CONTINUED TO
STRENGTHEN...AND HAS REACHED CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ISABEL IS THE FIRST CATEGORY FIVE
HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN SINCE MITCH OF 1998.
AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 21.6 NORTH... LONGITUDE 55.3 WEST OR ABOUT 500
MILES...805 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLAND.
ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND THIS
GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MPH...260 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY OVER THE NEXT
24 HOURS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES... 95 KM...
FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP
TO 185 MILES...295 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 921 MB...27.20 INCHES.
LARGE OCEAN SWELLS AND DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OVER
PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND PUERTO
RICO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.
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