just as I suspected

[rtd2]

Isabelle will make landfall as a CAT 1... although one of the strongest cat 1's since alot of the thunderstorms with high gust that were sheared out of the core when it was a cat 4-5 are still apart of the outflow!

[wrkh99]

are you sure about that ?

[Guest]

When it happens, I do guess it's better as cat1 than cat5.
(ok folks, that's as obvious as hot water discovery

Paolo

[Anonymous]

Its a Cat 2

[AussieMark]

Winds are currently at 100 mph and are forcast to strengthen back up to 105 mph before landfall

[Stormcenter]

This not the radar and satellite presentation of a cat.1 or 2 hurricane.
Looks more like a tropical storm. But who knows the bite may be
worse than the bark in this case.


http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p ... kmhx.shtml

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT ... -loop.html

[Anonymous]

Isabel is a hurricane. It looks like a hurricane, it has hurricane force winds and the pressure is 957mb. Pointing at Isabel and saying it is a tropical storm is just wrong.

[JetMaxx]

Isabelle will make landfall as a CAT 1.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Flight level winds are back up to 111 kts (128 mph)...which equals 99 kts at the surface, and the core of the hurricane is now over the Gulf Stream. Isabel wouldn't be the first hurricane to deepen to a cat-3 while crossing the Gulf Stream near the Outer Banks....remember Emily? (and the current central pressure of 956 mb is already LOWER than Emily's (961 mb).

[AussieMark]

Isabelle will make landfall as a CAT 1.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Flight level winds are back up to 111 kts (128 mph)...which equals 99 kts at the surface, and the core of the hurricane is now over the Gulf Stream. Isabel wouldn't be the first hurricane to deepen to a cat-3 while crossing the Gulf Stream near the Outer Banks....remember Emily? (and the current central pressure of 956 mb is already LOWER than Emily's (961 mb).

If Isabel doesn't each Category 3 Status landfall will most likely be as a strong category 2 hurricane -- 105-110 mph.

[Stormcenter]

Those are flight level winds and they are not at the surface. So far none of the bouys around the storm center have reported winds near 100 mph.
Now that's so far, it may change.

[Trader Ron]

I predicted 100-110 MPH on Monday.Yesterday 100.I'm sticking with my prediction..hehe..

[Stormcenter]

The radar presentation is now poorer than an hour ago as she nears the coast. The center is filling in, not indicative of strengthening hurricane.

http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p ... kmhx.shtml