...Extremely dangerous category four Hurricane Rita continues
west-northwestward toward the southwestern Louisiana and Upper
Texas coasts...
A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Port O'Connor Texas to Morgan
City Louisiana. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions
are expected within the warning area within the next 24 hours.
Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to
completion.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the southeastern coast of
Louisiana east of Morgan City to the mouth of the Pearl River
including metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain....and
from south of Port O'Connor to Port Mansfield Texas. A Tropical
Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected
within the warning area within the next 24 hours.

A tropical storm watch remains in effect from south of Port
Mansfield to Brownsville Texas...and for the northeastern coast of
Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward to the Rio Grande.
A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are
possible within the watch area...generally within 36 hours.

For storm information specific to your area...including possible
inland watches and warnings...please monitor products issued
by your local weather office.

At 10 PM CDT...0300z...the center of Hurricane Rita was located near
latitude 26.2 north... longitude 90.3 west or about 350 miles...
560 km... southeast of Galveston Texas and about 310 miles... 495
km...southeast of Cameron Louisiana.

Rita is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph...17 km/hr. A
gradual turn toward the northwest is expected during the next 24
hours. On this track...the core of Rita will be approaching the
southwest Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts late Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph...220 km/hr...with higher
gusts. Rita is an extremely dangerous category four hurricane on
the Saffir-Simpson scale. Some fluctuations in strength are
expected during the next 24 hours.