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).

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.