FLORENCE
At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the centre of Hurricane Florence was located near latitude 24.9 North, longitude 58.9 West. Florence is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). A west-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days. A turn toward the northwest is forecast to occur Wednesday night or Thursday. On the forecast track, the centre of Florence will move over the southwestern Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the southeastern coast of the United States on Thursday.
Satellite imagery indicates that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph (165 km/h) with higher gusts. Rapid
strengthening is forecast, and Florence is forecast to become a major hurricane this morning, and is expected to remain an extremely
dangerous major hurricane through Thursday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km).
HELENE
At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the centre of Hurricane Helene was located near latitude 14.3 North, longitude 28.9 West. Helene is moving
toward the west-northwest near 17 mph (28 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue for another couple of days. A turn to the northwest is forecast to occur on Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Helene’s expected to resume strengthening today. Afterward,
weakening is forecast to commence Wednesday morning.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles
(150 km).
ISAAC
At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the centre of Hurricane Isaac was located near latitude 14.7 North, longitude 42.7 West. Isaac is moving
toward the west near 13 mph (20 km/h). A westward motion with a slight increase in forward speed is forecast through the end of the
week. On the forecast track, Isaac is forecast to move across the Lesser Antilles and into the eastern Caribbean Sea on Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected over the next day or
two. Weakening is forecast to begin by the middle of the week as Isaac approaches the Lesser Antilles.
Isaac is a small hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles (20 km) from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds
extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km).