Update on Hurricane Ian as of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 27. The center of Hurricane Ian was located by NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft, Cuban and Key West radar data near latitude 22.6 North, longitude 83.6 West. Ian is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the north-northeast with a reduction in forward speed is forecast tonight and Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico in a couple of hours, pass west of the Florida Keys
later today, and approach the west coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday and Wednesday night. Maximum sustained winds are estimated near 125 mph with higher gusts. Ian is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Little change in strength is expected while Ian moves over Cuba. Strengthening is expected later this morning
after Ian emerges over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. Ian is forecast to approach the west coast of Florida as a dangerous major hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 950 mb.