Paloma rapidly strengthens into Category 1 Hurricane (click here)
by NOLA.com
Thursday November 06, 2008, 6:06 PM
...At 6 p.m., the center of Hurricane Paloma was located near latitude 16.9 north, longitude 81.7 west, about 165 miles south of Grand Cayman and about 280 miles west-southwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Paloma is now moving toward the north near 12 mph. This general motion is expected to continue tonight and most of day on Friday, with a gradual turn toward the northeast forecast to occur late Friday and on Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph with higher gusts. Paloma is now a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Paloma continues to rapidly organize and additional strengthening is likely. Paloma is expected to become a category 2 hurricane on Friday.
Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center. During the past hour, NOAA buoy 42057 located just east of the center reported a one-minute sustained wind of 71 mph and a wind gust to 78 mph.
Paloma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches of rain over the Cayman Islands with isolated maximum totals of 12 inches possible.
November 7, 2008
1030z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite - click title to entry for 12 hour animation, thank you
