TYB
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
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At 700 AM CDT (1200 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Laura was located
near latitude 26.4 North, longitude 91.4 West. Laura is moving
toward the northwest near 15 mph (24 km/h) and this general motion
should continue today, followed by a north-northwestward motion
tonight. On the forecast track, Laura should approach the Upper
Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts this evening and move inland
near those areas tonight or Thursday morning.
Data from NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate
that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 mph (185
km/h) with higher gusts. Laura is a dangerous category 3 hurricane
on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and is forecast to continue
strengthening into a category 4 hurricane later today. Rapid
weakening is expected after Laura makes landfall.
Laura is a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward
up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center and tropical-storm- force
winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km). Buoy 42395, located
just east of Laura's eye, recently reported a sustained wind of 74
mph (119 km/h) and a wind gust of 107 mph (172 km/h) and a wave
height of 37 feet (11 meters).
The latest minimum central pressure estimated from NOAA and Air
Force reconnaissance aircraft data is 963 mb (28.44 inches).
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT3+shtml/261150.shtml