Ian is currently centered over western Cuba and is moving north. Ian rapidly intensified into a major hurricane at 2:30 a.m. EDT and then made landfall in Cuba two hours later.
As of 8 a.m., The National Hurricane Center places Ian about 10 miles north-northeast (15 kilometers) of the city of Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, and 130 miles (240 kilometers) south-southwest of the Dry Tortugas.
The hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and is moving north at 12 mph (19 kph). The minimum central pressure is now 930 MB…28.05 inches.
WESH.com is reporting that a Hurricane Watch has been posted for Polk, Sumter, and Lake counties. Tropical Storm Warnings are up for Seminole, Orange, Osceola, and Brevard counties. Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for Flagler, Volusia, and Marion counties.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Ian is expected to only spend a few hours over western Cuba, and little overall change in strength is likely during that time.
The center should emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico later this morning, where warm water and generally low vertical wind shear conditions are expected to allow for additional intensification, and the NHC forecast calls for Ian to reach category 4 strength.
About 24 to 36 hours later, the storm is expected to hit some southwesterly vertical wind shear and some drier air as it nears the Florida coast. That being said, Weather.com says it will still be a large and dangerous major hurricane as it approaches the coast.
Ian is expected to produce the following rainfall through Thursday:
- Florida Keys: 4 to 6 inches
- Coastal Southwest and Southeast Florida: 4 to 6 inches
- Central West Florida: 12 to 16 inches
- Northeast Florida: 5 to 10 inches
- The remainder of the Central Florida Peninsula: 5 to 10 inches
The WESH 2 First Warning Weather Team recommends you have these items ready before the storm strikes.
- Bottled water: One gallon of water per person per day
- Canned food and soup, such as beans and chili
- Can opener for the cans without the easy-open lids
- Assemble a first-aid kit
- Two weeks’ worth of prescription medications
- Baby/children’s needs, such as formula and diapers
- Flashlight and batteries
- Battery-operated weather radio
