Sept. 3, 2008 — The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported Wednesday that Hurricane Ike had become the third major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic storm season, but its path is still forecast to keep Ike well north of the Virgin Islands.
The storm was located about 640 miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands as of 8 p.m. AST, and it was heading west-northwest at nearly 18 mph. Winds were 115 mph with higher gusts.
The NHC prediction has the hurricane passing more than 300 miles north of Puerto Rico and the V.I. late Friday and early Saturday.
Ike is one of three tropical cyclones roaming the Atlantic. Tropical Storm Hanna is plowing northwestward through the Bahamas, while Josephine, still more than 1,000 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, appears to be weakening, the NHC said.
For more detailed information, go to the National Hurricane Center website.
