Tropical Storm Nate To Be Category 2 Hurricane At Landfall

Strengthening Hurricane Nate is now expected to be a Category 2 hurricane at landfall on the central Gulf Coast in coming hours.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Nate’s top sustained winds have recently risen to 90 mph (150 kph) and the core is now about 180 miles (285 kilometers) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

As of 10 a.m. CDT Saturday, Nate was accelerating to 26 mph (43 kph) and headed north-northwest on a course expected to take it onto the central Gulf Coast on Saturday night. Forecasters say the hurricane-force winds extend out up to 35 miles (55 kph), mainly to the east of the eye.

In addition to hurricane warnings and tropical storm warnings already in place along a wide stretch of Gulf Coast, a new tropical storm warning has been issued in the Florida Panhandle from east of the Okaloosa-Walton County line to Indian Pass, Florida.