Ike and Gustav Compared - INSIGHT INTO WHERE IKE WILL GO + LATEST SATELLITE, TRACK, HEAT MAP and LANDFALL MODELS

Just in - Ike is now back up to CAT 2 status, strengthening quickly.

Right so here is Gustav after clearing the Cuban Peninsula. Check it out. The position of Gustav here is almost identical to Ike (below):

24.2 N - Gustav 23.9 N - Ike
85 W - Gustav 85.3 W Ike

So there you have confirmation that the storms are starting off from here from almost the exact same spot. What are the differences then?

Gustav was stronger at the time, with wind speeds at 125mph whereas Ike is 85mph (right now Ike's up to 90mph...er scratch that Ike's jumped to 100mph now). So Gustav is the stronger system right? Not so fast. A key indicator of a system's strength is barometrical pressure. Here Ike is just 1mb off the pace. But if Ike's winds are slower, how can that be? Well, it really means that Ike's winds are going to strengthen and they are. That's one of the first inferences. Gustav shortly after the above screenshot weakened, then weakened again? Why? One of the reasons was Gustav was racing across the Gulf at 15mph. The distance to landfall (New Orleans) from this point was around 500 miles.

And now we begin to see how Ike is going to beat brother Gus hands down. Ike is moving at a sustainable 8mph - half Gus's pace. Ike's distance to land is more than 850 miles. That is long trip, a long time to warm up over Gulf waters.

Now have a look at just how toasty warm those waters are off Corpus Christi. There's a big patch there of the warmest water you'll find in the world (short of a volcanic lake). Ike is heading straight for that hot puddle (whereas Gustav neatly sidestepped it)

The NHC is forecasting that Ike will strengthen up to Cat 3. I think Ike will step up to 4, even 5 for the reasons given above. Ike has cataclysmic storm potential, the system is already large enough to envelope virtually the entire Gulf of Mexico (see satellite image at bottom).

#Ike flexes muscles - Jumps from Cat 2 to 4 in a few hours: LATEST STATS, TRACK, UPDATED SATELLITE

Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion. Sounds ominous doesn't it.

According to the latest advisory there is likely to be a storm surge of 13 to 18 feet above normal tide levels. And:

Large swells generated by Ike will affect portions of the southeast United States coast during the next couple of days. These waves could generate dangerous and life-threatening rip currents.


Ike is a CAT 4 Hurricane with gusts reaching a mammoth 160mph. Ike continues to track WSW at a steady 11mph.

Computer models place Ike roughly where Gustav was not long ago. Once in the Gulf Ike is likely to regain strength lost in Cuba as was the case with Gustav. The latest 5 day forecasts are for a strengthening back up to Cat 3.

clipped from news.yahoo.com PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos - Hurricane Ike loomed over this low-lying island chain Saturday as a dangerous Category 4 storm, prompting thousands of people to evacuate while those staying behind hunkered down and hoped for the best. As the massive gray wall of clouds approached from the east, people poured into the main supermarket in Providenciales, expecting that power would be knocked out and that food would suddenly become scarce. "I am very, very nervous," said John Moore, a fishing boat captain, as he tied down his 61-foot vessel in a Providenciales cove. "It looks like it might go right over us, so that's not a good picture." Ike's eye was about 60 miles (105 kilometers) east of Grand Turk Island Saturday evening. It was moving west-southwest about 12 mph (18 kph). The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm's maximum sustained winds were 135 mph (215 kph).

Hurricane Ike: Latest Satellite Photo, Track, Computer Modelling [UPDATED]

Satellite image above shows Ike 70miles outside Galveston, about to make landfall with 110mph winds.



For the latest updates and near live Hurricane Ike coverage visit, go here.
Below is data from 1 week ago.

This is a beautiful storm. Powerful, clean lines. Still Category 4 and packing 140mph winds. Unfortunately, flattery gets you nowhere. Ike is scheduled to turn towards the bottom-most tip of Flordia. Ike's track takes this very powerful storm much closer to the US landmass than Hanna, on a heading close to Miami, and as a super-powerful storm. Not good news. Ike will probably weaken slightly overnight.

Just in, Ike's winds have dropped from 140mph to 135mph. As Ike enters the shadowy area once occupied by Hanna, the storm might lose strength quicker than anticipated. Right now there is still plenty of clear open sea between Ike and Hanna.