Hurricane Nate is continuing to intensify over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and now has sustained winds of 90 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 10 a.m. advisory.
After inundating Central America and leaving dozens dead, Hurricane Nate is now expected to make landfall between New Orleans and Pensacola late this evening, with the NHC forecasting Nate to be a category 2 hurricane with max winds of 105 mph when the center reaches the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Nate is currently moving rapidly toward the north-northwest near 26 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through this evening, according to the NHC. A turn toward the north is forecast tonight, followed by a turn toward the northeast. On the forecast track, the center of Nate will move across the northern Gulf of Mexico today and will make landfall along the central U.S. Gulf Coast tonight.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles, primarily to the east of the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.
Sunrise imagery of #HurricaneNate this morning, our 9th hurricane of the record breaking season so far. More loops @ https://t.co/oVYhIsjXNx pic.twitter.com/FWkW8oSCTy
— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) October 7, 2017
