11PM Update The pressure now sits at 897mb, with maximum sustained winds of 150kt/170-175mph. Slight additional strengthening is forecast within the next 12hr before slow weakening to landfall as a intense category 4/5 storm along the central Texas coastline just west of Galveston. Clark Evans has more in his latest blog entry below, including information of potential impacts along the coastline from New Orleans to Corpus Christi and inland to northern Texas.
8PM Update The pressure has fallen to 898mb, the third lowest in Atlantic basin recorded history. Additional intensification is likely for the next 12hr before a potential eyewall cycle, though Rita has all of the signs of an annular hurricane.
6PM EDT Update Hurricane Rita is now the fifth most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin with a new pressure recorded by the crews of the hurricane hunter aircraft of 904 mb.
Hurricane watches are now up from Port Mansfield Texas to Cameron Lousiana. East of Cameron to Grande Isle and from south of Port Mansfield, TX to San Fernando, MX a tropical storm watch is up.
5PM EDT Update Rita is now a Category 5 hurricane with surface winds of 165mph and a sea level pressure of 914mb (though even lower were actually measured by dropsondes; the 914mb value is an extrapolated value). This makes it one of the most intense hurricanes on record in the Atlantic basin, just shy of where Katrina was 3 weeks ago. Microwave imagery suggest that an eyewall cycle might be 12-18hr away, leaving it plenty of time to unfortunately strengthen further. More soon.
Web based Video and Audio Many websites require realplayer for video and audio, you can get real player here or an alternative real media player here (Ie WinXp64)
Jim Williams, from Hurricane City and West Palm Beach, is doing his live audio show as Rita approaches on hurricanecity. Listen here
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