Hurricane Felix heading for Aruba

September 02, 2007

Miami, Florida - The National Hurricane Center is reporting that the Category 2 storm Felix may become a major hurricane by Sunday night or early Monday.

The National Hurricane Center is reporting that the Category 2 storm Felix may become a major hurricane by Sunday night or early Monday.

A storm must reach Category 3 status, with winds of at least 111 mph, before the hurricane center labels it major.

By 11 a.m. Sunday, the center of the Category 2 storm was about 50 miles north of the island of Aruba and about 555 miles southeast of Jamaica's capital, Kingston. Its maximum sustained winds were 105 mph.

Felix, the year's second named hurricane, is expected to strengthen as it moves through the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said. A Category 3 or higher is considered a majory hurricane.

Felix was moving west-northwest at 18 mph and forecasters predicted that the storm's center would continue on this track, passing to the north of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao on Sunday. The storm is expected to pass into the open waters of the Caribbean Sea later in the day and into the night.

A hurricane watch was put in effect for those islands, meaning that hurricane conditions, including winds of more than 74 mph, are expected within 36 hours.

The government of the Cayman Islands has issued a tropical storm watch for Grand Cayman -- meaning that tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.