Sept. 9, 2003 — The NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., reports that at 11 a.m. EDT the center of Hurricane Isabel was located near latitude 19.6 north, longitude 46.9 west or about 980 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean Sea. Isabel is moving toward the west-northwest near 14 mph, and this general motion is forecast to continue for the next 12 to 24 hours with a gradual turn toward the west expected afterwards. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Isabel taken on Sept. 9, 2003, at 8:45 a.m EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Maximum sustained winds are near 135 mph with higher gusts making Isabel a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Some slight additional strengthening is possible during the next 24 hours. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Isabel taken on Sept. 9, 2003, at 8:45 a.m EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles. (Click NOAA tracking map of Hurricane Isabel for larger view.)

The estimated minimum central pressure is 948 mb, 27.99 inches.

TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOURTEEN LARGE BUT DISORGANIZED

The NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., reports that at 11 a.m. EDT the poorly defined center of Tropical Depression Fourteen was located near latitude 13.4 north, longitude 24.7 west or about 105 miles south of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands. The depression is moving toward the north-northwest near 10 mph, and this motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Isabel in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and Tropical Depression Fourteen (far right) taken on Sept. 9, 2003, at 9:00 a.m EDT. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. The depression has the chance to become a tropical storm in a day or two.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 mb, 29.74 inches. (Click NOAA tracking map of Tropical Depression Fourteen for larger view.)

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