image: On Sept. 8 at 10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible-light image of Category 4 Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean. view more
Credit: Credits: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
NASA's Terra satellite passed over powerful Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean and captured a close look at the eye of the storm.
On Sept. 8 at 10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible-light image of Category 4 Hurricane Jose. The image showed that a thick band of thunderstorms continued to circle a very clear and well-defined eye.
On Sept. 9, U.S. Air Force Reserve Reconnaissance aircraft measurements suggest that this eye has become slightly more asymmetric. In addition, the National Hurricane Center noted on Sept. 9 that "visible and infrared satellite imagery indicate northeastward elongation of the cirrus canopy accompanying Jose, suggesting the southwesterly shear over the system is beginning to increase. The interaction between Jose and shear accompanying the aforementioned trough will likely result in a weakening trend through the weekend."
Warnings and Watches
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Saint Maarten, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, and a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Barbuda and Anguilla, Saba and St. Eustatius.
The Tropical Storm Watch for St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S.Virgin Island has been discontinued. The government of Antigua has discontinued the Tropical Storm Watch for Antigua and the British Virgin Islands.
Jose's Location on Saturday, September 9, 2017
At 11 a.m. AST/EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Jose was located near 18.3 degrees north latitude and 61.3 west longitude. That's about 120 miles (190 km) east of the Northern Leeward Islands.
Jose is moving toward the northwest near 13 mph (20 kph). A continued northwest motion is expected during the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the core of Jose will pass just north of the northern Leeward Islands later today.
Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 kph) with higher gusts. Jose is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Gradual weakening is expected to occur over the next couple of days.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km).
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For forecast updates on Jose, visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov