Key West Radar is Tracking Irma

If you hang around here much, you know how much we love that term “tracking” so I just had to use it.

Irma is looking much improved on GOES-16 satellite imagery over the past hour or so, and the center should begin lifting away from Cuba now.

There is no recon plane in the storm right now. The Hurricane Hunters have done a yeoman’s job this week keeping up with Irma, Jose and Katia. I saw a tweet where the NOAA Hurricane Hunters were in a pre-flight meeting a couple of hours ago, so they should be en route soon.

The hurricane will have 18 hours over the very warm water of the Florida Straits. The hurricane has its internal core intact, oceanic heat content will be very high, wind shear is low (5-10 knots) and the hurricane is totally ensconced in very moist air, so the hurricane will intensify. Just how much and how rapidly is the question.

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