Ida’s lowest pressure tumbled to 930 MB at 8AM EDT. Top wind is now 150 mph. An elevated platform at Southwest Pass, LA measured a wind speed at 105 mph with gusts to 121 mph at 8AM EDT. Ida continues to intensify.

Warm waters off the coast of Louisiana support the possibility of Ida becoming a category-4 major hurricane.

Glancing at the SST across the Gulf of Mexico reveals normally warm 29C/85F in the southeast Gulf although north of the Yucatan Peninsula is cooler than normal. In the central Gulf SST warms slightly to a near normal 85.5F. However, the west-central/east-central Gulf of Mexico are warmer than normal (86F-86.5F) and somewhat warmer than normal in the northwest Gulf (87F).

The combination of a warmer than normal eastern Indian Ocean (negative Indian Ocean Dipole), La Nina biased toward the Dateline (Modoki) and a warm tropical Atlantic produce rainfall patterns that could benefit the Brazil drought zone.