Hurricane Tracking Blog

At 11 a.m. AST, the National Hurricane Center issued advisory #17 with regard to Hurricane Bill.

Hurricane Bill is now a powerful category 4 storm, with the eye located near latitude 18.7 north…longitude 56.3 west or about 380 miles (610 km) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands, and about 1080 miles (1735 km) south-southeast of Bermuda. It is currently moving toward the west-northwest near 18 mph (30 km/hr). This general track is expected to continue today and tomorrow (Thursday), but a gradual turn to the northwest and northward is expected thereafter.

Hurricane Bill currently has maximum sustained winds remain near 135 mph (215 km/hr), with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is possible during the next 24 hours, and its hurricane force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) from the center. Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km), primarily to the northeast of the center.

Hurricane Bill’s minimum central pressure (as reported by a reconnaissance aircraft) was 950 mb (28.05 inches). Large swells associated with the hurricane will be impacting the islands of the northeast Caribbean sea during the next couple days. Large swells associated with Hurricane Bill should also begin affecting Bermuda and portions of the Eastern Coast of the United States on Friday (Aug. 21) and Saturday (Aug. 22).

At 11 a.m. AST, the National Hurricane Center issued advisory #13 with regard to Hurricane Bill.

As at that time, the eye of Hurricane Bill was located near latitude 15.9 north … longitude 51.2 west or about 705 miles… 1140 km…east of the Leeward Islands. It is currently moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph (26 km/hr). A west-northwest motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours, followed by a turn toward the northwest on Wednesday.

Hurricane Bill is currently a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph (165 km/hr), with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, it is believed that Hurricane Bill could become a major hurricane within the next day. Hurricane force winds extend outward from Bill up to 40 miles (65 km) from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km).

An air force reserve hurricane hunter aircraft will investigate the hurricane later this afternoon.

Tropical Storm Bill, which was the second named storm for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, has now been upgraded to a hurricane, thus making Hurricane Bill the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.

As at 5:00 PM AST today, Hurricane Bill’s vital stats are as follows:
Location: 14.6°N 46.7°W
Max sustained: 90 mph
Moving: WNW at 16 mph
Min pressure: 969 mb

Strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Hurricane Bill is likely to become the first major hurricane of the season, with winds up to 125 mph expected by Wednesday. Follow the Hurricane Bill tracker.

Earlier today, Tropical Storm Bill became the second named storm for the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season. It is believed that Bill could develop into one of the first MAJOR hurricanes for this year. Early projections place Bill east of the Bahamas by Friday morning (August 21).

The Government of the Netherland Antilles has issued a tropical storm watch for Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten as a result of Tropical Storm Ana. The National Hurricane Center said yesterday that Ana had maximum sustained winds near 40 miles per hour, and was moving west at approximate 17 miles per hour. It was located at approximately 805 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands.

Residents in the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are being warned to monitor Ana’s progress.