TAMPA, Fla. — Tropical Storm Ian intensified overnight into a hurricane and has continued to get stronger throughout the day, according to the National Hurricane Center, and forecasters expect the storm will be a major hurricane by the end of the day or early Tuesday.
In the 5 p.m. Eastern time update, the hurricane center also upgraded the hurricane watch and storm surge watch issued for Tampa Bay to a hurricane warning and a storm surge warning. Tampa Bay remained firmly in the storm’s forecast cone, though forecasters said there was still a great deal of uncertainty about Ian’s path.
Hurricane Ian was about 155 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba, according to the 5 p.m. update. The storm was moving north-northwest at about 13 mph and had sustained winds near 100 mph, with higher gusts.
