Matthew Remains a Powerful CAT 4 Hurricane With Maximum Sustained Winds of 130mph

FMIT Alert Level 2:
Low-Moderate

Matthew Remains a Powerful CAT 4 Hurricane With Maximum Sustained Winds of 130mph. Forecast Models Continue To Show Matthew Maintaining Its Intensity Over The Coming Days With Little To No Strengthening Expected. Matthew Has Begun Turning North At 6mph And Is Expected To Stay On A Northern Path. Still Some Potential to Impact Florida Next Week. Center of Hurricane Matthew Projected To Pass Approximately 150-300 miles To The East of Florida Thursday And Friday This Week.

10:00am EST, Monday, October 3, 2016

Latest from the National Hurricane Center:

“At 800 AM EDT (1200 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located near latitude 15.4 North, longitude 74.9 West. Matthew is moving toward the north near 6 mph (9 km/h). A general northward motion with some increase in forward speed is expected through Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will approach Jamaica and southwestern Haiti tonight, and eastern Cuba on Tuesday.”

Latest From FMIT:

FMIT continues to monitor Hurricane Matthew as it begins heading North. Hurricane-force winds spread outward up to 30 miles (45km) from the middle and tropical-storm-force winds spread outward up to 195 miles (315 km). The approximated lowest central pressure based on figures from the aircraft is 943 mb (27.85 inches).

The overall organization of Matthew has changed little overnight but is forecasted to maintain Its intensity as it continues to move North. Further strengthening is not expected and a decrease in intensity is likely once the storm makes landfall in Jamaica and Eastern Cuba. Currently, path models continue to mostly predict that it will narrowly pass Florida to the East sometime later next week. We will continue to send updates throughout the week as the Hurricane progresses.

Storm Imagery (Courtesy www.nhc.noaa.gov/ and www.myfoxhurricane.com/ )

Additional information and imagery can be found on your simpliCity℠ Dashboard.

FMIT Discussion

Matthew remains a powerful CAT 4 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130mph and is expected to maintain intensity.
Matthew is forecast to continue in low shear and over warm water while it progresses northward toward the Greater Antilles. Further strengthening is possible, but variations in intensity are likely due to eyewall cycles that are difficult to predict.
Further weakening and disruption in the structure of Matthew is likely once the Hurricane makes landfall in Jamaica and Eastern Cuba.
North forward movement has begun overnight with speed increasing to 6mph with projections to continue North later today into tonight.
Still some potential to impact Florida next week. Center of Hurricane Matthew Projected To Pass Approximately 150-300 miles To The East of Florida Thursday And Friday This Week.
We will continue to send updates throughout the week as the Hurricane progresses.