Lop Notes: Hurricane Irene Update

The National Weather Service reports that, at 5:00 AM, the center of Hurricane Irene was located near latitude 39.2 north...longitude 74.5 west. Irene is moving toward the north northeast at close to 18 miles per hour, and this motion accompanied by a gradual increase in forward speed is expected during the next day or so. On the forecast track, the center of Irene will move near or over the coast of New Jersey and over western Long Island this morning and move inland over southern New England by this afternoon. Landfall is forecast to be in the vicinity of Norwalk, CT – around the time of high tide.

Irene is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 125 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 320 miles.

National Weather Service offices responsible for this region (or portions thereof):

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Caribou, ME

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Gray/Portland, ME

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Taunton/Boston, MA

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Burlington, VT

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Albany, NY

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Upton/New York City, NY

Media reports:

CT: Irene's bullseye: Between Stamford and Bridgeport (Connecticut Post)

CT: Town after town tells residents to evacuate as Irene approaches (Connecticut Post)

CT: Coastal sewer systems will be taxed in hurricane (Connecticut Post)

ME: State faces major threat from wind and flooding (Portland Press Herald)