At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Hurricane Ian was located near latitude 23.5 North, longitude 83.3 West.
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Ian is moving toward the north near 10 mph (17 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue today.
A turn toward the north-northeast with a reduction in forward speed is forecast tonight and Wednesday.
On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico today, pass west of the Florida Keys later tonight, and approach the west coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday and Wednesday night.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts.
Ian is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Re-strengthening is expected later today through Wednesday.
Ian is forecast to approach the west coast of Florida as an extremely dangerous major hurricane.
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).
The minimum central pressure has dropped to 955 mb (28.20 inches) based on Air Force Hurricane Hunter data.
Hurricane conditions are expected within the warning area in Cuba for a few more hours, with destructive winds possible.
Tropical storm conditions are expected within the tropical storm warning area in Cuba today.
Hurricane conditions are expected along the west coast of Florida within the Hurricane Warning area on Wednesday morning, with tropical storm conditions possibly beginning by late today.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Tropical Storm Warning area along the southwest coast of the Florida peninsula by this evening, and along the west coast north of the Tampa Bay area and along portions of the east coast of Florida on Wednesday.
Hurricane conditions are possible in the watch area beginning on Wednesday.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area in the lower and middle Florida Keys beginning later today, and are possible in southeastern Florida in the Tropical Storm Watch area beginning this evening.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Tropical Storm Warning area on the east coast of Florida beginning early Wednesday, spreading up to Georgia and South Carolina on Thursday.
Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Tropical Storm Watch area in the Florida Big Bend area on Wednesday into early Thursday. ■