More Trouble Brewing in the Tropics

We are in the peak of hurricane season and have another active hurricane to focus on this week. Hurricane Ike is a strong category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds this evening. It has already battered The Bahamas, and is now set to bring heavy rains and mudslides to Cuba on Monday. We do expect Ike to weaken as it moves over the mountainous terrain of Cuba. Due to its westward motion, it should weaken Ike from a major hurricane to a weak hurricane or strong tropical storm.

Our interests will turn towards Ike as it emerges in the Gulf of Mexico by mid-week. At that time, we expect it to strengthen once again as it encounters some deep, warm waters. The big question is "Where will Ike go from there?" The answer is unclear as there is a wide range of possibilities. These are some of our different computer models showing the forecast track of Ike. Notice how some of them turn it northward towards the Alabama/Mississippi coastline, while others take it westward towards the lower Texas coast. Needless to say, there is a lot of uncertainty with both the strength and track of Ike from mid-week to next weekend. Make sure you keep it tuned right here for updates on Ike. Remember, you can get the latest advisories and forecast track by heading to the Hurricane Center on our webpage.