Hurricane Ian, a powerful category 4 hurricane in the southeast Gulf of Mexico, underwent whats called an Eyewall Replacement Cycle overnight.
This frequently happens when a tropical cyclone reaches a certain intensity (category 3 or higher). In the storm's center, a secondary area of organized thunderstorms forms and contracts inward, replacing the old eyewall.
Once this process is fully underway, it puts a brief pause on the strengthening. But it does increase the size and wind field of the stronger winds around the eye. With the eyewall replacement cycle now complete, Ian has room for more strengthening before making landfall this afternoon.
The latest from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) shows that Ian has strengthened into a high-end category 4 storm, with winds up to 155 mph. This lands just shy of the highest level in which tropical cyclones can be rated, category 5 (157mph +).
Ian is moving to the north-northeast at 10 mph, and is expected to make landfall late this morning into the early afternoon between
Tampa Bay and Cape Coral. It's in these areas that the storm surge will
reach catastrophic levels, ranging from 12ft to 16ft. Further inland is where the severe threat lies throughout the day. In a similar fashion to what we saw yesterday, storms embedded in the outer bands will be capable of all severe hazards, including a few tornadoes.
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