29 August 2012

Hurricane Isaac Strengthens Noticeably At Landfall. Risk to New Orleans Increasing.

Posted by Dan Satterfield

Doppler wind data is indicating that Hurricane Isaac has gotten stronger.

Winds are gusting to over 100 mph just offshore now and winds are already gusting to near 80 mph around the New Orleans area tonight. The radar data shows a shrinking eye wall and that also indicates the Isaac has gotten stronger. The track now seems likely to put New Orleans in the wettest and windiest part of the storm. The storm surge and the rainfall remain the biggest worries.

The enhanced imagery shows cooling cloud tops. This means the tops of the convection are higher in the atmosphere (thus colder) and that the intensity of the convective core of Isaac is stronger.

If you are in New Orleans or nearby, it will be getting far worse….