GERMANTOWN, MD -- 08/30/08 --
WeatherBug, a leading provider of live,
local weather information, announced today that Gustav is now a strong
category three hurricane and is quickly becoming a category four hurricane.
WeatherBug analysis also shows that the path of the storm has turned from a
west northwest track to a steady northwest track, resulting in a
significant deviation of more than 50 miles from earlier forecasts
significantly changing the path of the storm to the eastern side of the
Isle of Youth, south of Cuba.
Forecast models continue to indicate a steady track toward the central
Louisiana coast with a slowing of forward motion and a turn toward Texas.
WeatherBug analysis also shows a much closer track to the lower Florida
Keys.
"This deviation could have significant impact on the future track and
forecasts and expected landfall scenarios," said Mark Hoekzema, chief
meteorologist at WeatherBug. "For the U.S., the shift could be a signal
showing an increased threat that New Orleans could be in the path of a
direct hit. We also see eastern Cuba under the gun for potentially
catastrophic damage from storm surge and high winds. Additionally, there is
a higher threat for stronger winds and gusts beginning late today and into
Sunday for the Florida Keys."
WeatherBug has more than 1,500 weather stations across the entire Gulf
Coast. These weather stations monitor current conditions in real-time, such
as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, rain rate and barometric
pressure. Several of WeatherBug's weather stations are also located at sea
on oil platforms in the Gulf Coast.
About WeatherBug®
WeatherBug (http://weatherbug.com and
http://weatherbugprofessional.com) is a trusted source of dynamic weather
information enabling people worldwide to make more informed weather-related
decisions. By combining its proprietary asset-the world's largest, most
dense network of live weather stations and cameras-with aggregated weather
data from around the world, the WeatherBug Network delivers highly precise
weather information and forecasts for the most accurate, neighborhood-level
weather available. WeatherBug is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies,
Inc.
Contact
Mara Radis
Director of Corporate Communications
301-250-4017 (office)
301-512-5134 (mobile)
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