Category 2 Hurricane Isaias now has 100 mph winds as it targets landfall on northern Gulf Coast – News4JAX

Category 2 Hurricane Isaias now has 100 mph winds as it targets landfall on northern Gulf Coast  News4JAX

Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, strengthened on Thursday as it barreled toward landfall late Friday or early Saturday along the northern Gulf Coast. As of 9 p.m. Thursday, the system now has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, and additional strengthening is expected through early Friday. Hurricane Isaias has developed a visible eye on satellite imagery — a first for the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season — as the storm intensifies and turns toward the northeast ahead of an expected Gulf Coast landfall. The eye of Isaias became apparent on both visible and infrared satellite imagery, marking the first eye observed on satellite pictures in the Atlantic basin this hurricane season.

While cloud tops have mostly warmed within the system, the latest subjective Dvorak classification value from the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch, known as TAFB, has increased to T4.5, or 77 knots. NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft observations have not yet indicated a drop in central pressure, and peak 700-millibar flight-level winds have not increased. However, Tail Doppler Radar wind velocities measured just above the surface support raising the storm’s intensity to 85 knots for this advisory. Satellite and aircraft center fixes confirm Isaias has made its expected turn toward the northeast, with an initial motion now recorded at 050/10 knots. The storm is expected to turn northward