As Danielle moves into cooler waters, Earl strengthens into Category 2 hurricane

As Hurricane Danielle moved into cooler north Atlantic waters Sunday night, Earl strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.

Earl is currently headed toward several islands in the eastern Caribbean. Warnings were out Sunday night for several islands and a watch was issued for Puerto Rico.

If Earl takes an expected northerly turn, it would be good news for Florida.

"Luckily for us, all signs are now pointing at the fact that eventually down the road, it's going to start a northerly turn, which means it should stay well east of our state," said Bay News 9 meteorologist Brian McClure.

The weather experts are also watching a tropical wave, which may or may not develop into a tropical system.

"That's the big question right now," McClure said. "Some of our models are saying it will, some of our computer models are saying it won't."

Latest Advisories

Hurricane Danielle

At 11 p.m., the center of Hurricane Danielle was located near latitude 39.3 north, longitude 53.0 west.

Danielle is moving toward the noth-northeast near 16 mph. The cyclone is predicted to move toward the northeast at a slower speed during the next two days. 

Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph with higher gusts. 

Danielle is a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.  Some weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours. It is anticipated that the cyclone will become a large and powerful extratropical cyclone in about two days.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 85 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 275 miles.
 
Estimated minimum central pressure is 980 mb or 28.94 inches.

Hurricane Earl

At 11 p.m., the center of Hurricane Earl was located by a hurricane hunter aircraft near latitude 17.9 north, longitude 61.1 West.

Earl is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph.

A west-northwestward motion with a gradual decrease in forward speed is expected during the next day or so. 

On the forecast track, the center of Earl will pass near or over the northern Leeward Islands tonight and Monday.
 
Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph, with higher gusts. 

Earl is a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.   

The latest minimum central pressure reported by Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft is 971 mb or 28.67 inches.