MIAMI (AP) -- Ida has strengthened to a hurricane over the Caribbean as it nears Cancun, Mexico.
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Forecaster Todd Kimberlain with the the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Ida's winds have picked up to 75 mph (120
kph).
The storm is expected to pass between Mexico and Cuba on Sunday, with its center remaining offshore. Forecasters predict Ida will
enter the Gulf of Mexico, eventually weaken again to tropical storm strength and possibly brush the U.S. Gulf Coast next week.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect for parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, as well as Western Cuba and Grand Cayman Island.
A hurricane watch is also in effect for part of the Yucatan.
Late Saturday, Ida was centered about 120 miles (193 kilometers) east-southeast of Cozumel and moving northwest at about 12 mph (19
kph).
Tracking Ida: 12 a.m. Update
Location: 20.1 N, 85.3 W
Distance from Cozumel, Mexico: 110 miles SE
Distance from Cuba: 120 miles S
Distance from Orlando: 629 miles SSW
Max Wind Speed: 90 mph
Movement: 12 mph N
Pressure: 980 mb
At 12 a.m., the center of Hurricane Ida was located by an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft near latitude 20.1 north, longitude 85.3 west or about 110 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico and about 120 miles south of the western tip of Cuba.
Ida is moving toward the north-northwest near 12 mph and this general heading is expected to continue over the next 48 hours with an increase in forward speed. On the forecast track, Ida is expected to move through the Yucatan Channel and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico today.
Data from an Air Force Reserve hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph with higher gusts. Ida is a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Some additional strengthening is expected during the next day or so, but a slow weakening is expected to begin on Monday.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles from the center. NOAA buoy 42056, located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea about 120 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico recently reported a one-minute sustained wind of 56 mph.
The estimated minimum central pressure based on an observation from NOAA buoy 42056 is 980 mb or 28.94 inches.
Ida is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches over portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba with possible isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are also possible across the Cayman Islands.
An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 3 a.m. EST.
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