Hurricane Irene.

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IR Rainbow Satellite Image Of Hurricane Irene At 8:45 PM MDT.

IR Funktop Satellite Image Of Hurricane Irene At 8:45 PM MDT.

National Hurricane Center (NHC) Forecast Track Of Irene.

Map Is Courtesy Of AccuWeather. 

Irene Forecast To Intensify Into A Major Hurricane.

At 9 PM MDT, Hurricane Irene was located 410 miles SE of Nassau, in the Bahamas, or about 980 miles SSE of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Irene has slowed down in her forward speed a tad, and is moving off to the WNW at 9 mph. Her central pressure is down to 969 millibars, or 28.61 inches of mercury. Irene has sustained winds of 90 mph with gusts near 115 mph.

Within the next 48 hours or so, most of the computer models are forecasting Hurricane Irene to become a Major Hurricane. She could easily have winds sustained at around 125 mph with gusts near 155 mph. 

The latest thinking tonight from the National Hurricane center has Irene approaching the Outer Banks of North Carolina sometime around sunset Saturday. This could be subject to change so please keep checking the latest advisories, watches, and warnings concerning Hurricane Irene from the National Hurricane Center. 

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Irene to Strike Eastern North Carolina as a Major Hurricane

"The latest projected path of Irene takes it over eastern North Carolina as a major hurricane this weekend, posing a severe threat to lives and property.

Given the setup in the atmosphere as well as where hurricanes have traveled from similar starting points, negotiating the Antilles, Irene may take a path similar to or east of Hurricane Bertha in 1996.

The difference between Bertha and Irene is that Bertha was a Category 2 hurricane at landfall. Irene should come onshore over the Carolinas as a strong Category 3 hurricane.

Irene would then become the strongest hurricane to strike the Carolinas since Fran in 1996."

The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!