Hurricane Ian Lashes Cuba as Cat 3 Storm, aims at Florida

Syndication: Daytona Beach News-Journal

HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Ian has officially grown into a major hurricane as it barrels toward Cuba on a track to hit Florida’s west coast.

The National Hurricane Center defines a major hurricane as a Category 3 storm or higher, meaning maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph. As of 2:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Hurricane Ian had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.

Tampa and St. Petersburg are among the most likely targets for their first direct hit by a major hurricane in a century. Ian was forecast to move quickly over Cuba’s western tip. Then it will turn northward and slow down over warm Gulf of Mexico waters, and could hit Florida’s west coast as a Category 4 hurricane.

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