Hurricane Dorian has been strengthening very rapidly over the past 9 to 12 hours, reaching Category 4 strength just after midnight UTC.
Hurricane Dorian in GOES-16 visible/shortwave IR imagery in the morning of August 31st, 5:57 UTC. Image: Tropical Tidbits.
As of early morning August 31st (UTC), Dorian is a powerful CAT4 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 140 mph (225 km/h). Dorian has strengthened faster than most models indicated.
Hurricane Dorian in GOES-16 IR imagery in the morning of August 31st, 5:57 UTC. Image: Tropical Tidbits.
Currently located east of the Bahamas, it is expected to track across the Bahamas towards a possible landfall in Florida over the next 2-3 days. Significant uncertainty still remains about its track. We will be providing a more extensive update later in the day.