Hurricane Ida 10am Update

At 10:00 am est the center of Hurricane Ida was located near latitude 13.1 north...longitude 83.7 west or about 75 miles north of Bluefields, Nicaragua and about 65 miles south-southwest of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.

Ida is moving toward the northwest near 6 mph...9 km/hr...and a turn to the north-northwest is expected later today...followed by a turn toward the north late Friday or Friday night. On the forecast track...the center of Ida will move across eastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras during the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph...120 km/hr...with higher gusts. Ida is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Weakening is expected as Ida moves inland over Nicaragua today and tonight. Ida is forecast to weaken to a tropical storm later today.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 15 miles...30 km...from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles...110 km.

Estimated minimum central pressure is 987 mb...29.15 inches of mercury.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the east coast of Nicaragua from Bluefields northward to Puerto Cabezas. Hurricane-force winds are expected somewhere within the warning area during the next several hours.

At 10 am est the government of Nicaragua has discontinued the tropical storm warning from south of Bluefields to the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border.

A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning remain in effect for the eastern coast of Nicaragua from north of Puerto Cabezas to the Honduras/Nicaragua border. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 24 hours.

Ida is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to 7 inches over the islands off the coast of Nicaragua with maximum amounts of 12 inches possible. Rainfall accumulations of 15 to 20 inches are expected over eastern Nicaragua and eastern Honduras with maximum amounts of 25 inches possible. These rains could produce life-threatening flash flood and mud slides.

A storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 3 feet above ground level along the east coast of Nicaragua...with large and dangerous battering waves...near and to the north of where the center of Ida makes landfall. Water levels should begin to subside later today.

An intermediate advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 1:00 pm est followed by the next complete advisory at 4:00 pm est.