Hurricane Ida is now a Category 2 storm, with winds hovering around 100 mph and strengthening as it approaches the Louisiana coast for a landfall expected Sunday evening.

As of 1 p.m., the eye of Hurricane Ida was located near latitude 25.5 North, longitude 86.6 West. Ida is moving toward the northwest near 16 mph , 290 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and 380 miles southeast of Houma. This general motion should continue through late Sunday or early Monday, followed by a slower northward motion on Monday.

A northeastward turn is forecast by Monday night. On the forecast track, the center of Ida will move over the southeastern and central Gulf of Mexico through tonight.

Ida is then expected to make landfall along the coast of Louisiana within the hurricane warning area on Sunday, and then move inland over portions of Louisiana and western Mississippi later on Monday.

Satellite imagery indicates that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph with higher gusts. Additional rapid strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours. Ida is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it approaches the northern Gulf coast on Sunday. Weakening is expected after Ida makes landfall.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km). NOAA buoy 42003 located about 55 miles northeast of the eye has reported peak sustained winds of 52 mph with a gust to 62 mph within the past couple of hours.

The estimated minimum central pressure has dropped to 976 mb (28.82 inches).