AP Photo/NOAA
It’s been a pretty quiet summer in the tropics.
Now, just 22 days before official end of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, all eyes are on Hurricane Ida, as it barrels toward the Gulf of Mexico.
Maximum sustained winds are topping out at 100 miles per hour, according to the 1 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). That makes this a Category 2 hurricane.
The center of circulation was located about ... miles northeast of Cozumel, Mexico. So, for those of you tracking this storm at home, that's latitude 21.7 N and longitude 86.1 W. The storm is moving off toward the northwest at 10 miles per hour. A shift more toward the north and east is expected once Ida moves into the Gulf of Mexico.
And, as it moves north toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, the NHC said the storm will likely lose some of its tropical characteristics.
But, as of 1 p.m., the center's latest 5-day forecast track has Ida making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane somewhere along the coast from Mississippi to the Alabama-Florida border.
As a result, hurricane watches are now in effect all the way from Grand Isle, La. to Mexico Beach, Fla. That means hurricane conditions are possible over the next 36 hours. The watch area does not include New Orleans.
Ida’s effect on Florida remains to be seen. So, everyone should keep their eye on this storm as we head into the first part of the week.
Tampa should see some pretty windy conditions over the next day or so. Between a high pressure system over South Carolina and Ida near the Gulf of Mexico, The Weather Channel said we could see 20 to 25 mile-per-hour winds, with gusts well over 30 miles per hour.
Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are still in effect for parts of the Yucatan Peninsula, as Ida continues to move through the Yucatan Channel.
The storm already left its mark in El Salvador. BNO, a breaking news wire, said at least 42 people have been killed by flash floods and mudslides. And, it says some 50 other people are missing.
Keep checking back with the Tampa Weather Examiners for all the latest updates on Hurricane Ida. And, as always, you can check with the National Hurricane Center for all its latest advisories. The next statement is due out at 4 p.m. (EST).
Related Links:
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Video: MSNBC takes a look at Ida's wrath on Nicaragua
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