THIS THING HAS BLOWN UP! BUT NOT FOR LONG

When I last noted Hurricane Wilma last evening, it was but a tropical storm. Overnight, it has blossomed considerably into a Catagory 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. And with a minimum pressure of 892mb (26.76 inches of mercury), according to the National Hurricane Centre:

THIS IS THE LOWEST PRESSURE OBSERVED IN 2005 AND IS EQUIVALENT TO THE MINIMUM PRESSURE OF THE 1935 LABOR DAY HURRICANE IN THE FLORIDA KEYS.

Highest sustained winds were estimated at approximately 175 MPH. But Wilma is not expected to maintain this extreme strength. Again, from the NHC:

ONCE WILMA REACHES THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND ENCOUNTERS THE WESTERLIES AND HIGH SHEAR...WEAKENING SHOULD BEGIN.

But that said, she is expected to remain a dangerous Catagory 3 storm by the time she finds Florida this weekend. Most of the computer models are in agreement that South Florida will be in Wilma's sights. The good news is that by Saturday, it's forward motion will be significantly increased. That means the amount of time and storm surge affecting the area is lessened.

Just remember that these things usually have a mind of their own, and other factors could possibly cause a slight change in the forecast track.