Tropical Storm Michael 9-4-12
The cyclone has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and is moving north by north-west at 5 miles per hour. The storm is currently located about 1220 miles south-west of the Azores.
There is little chance of this storm causing trouble to any land masses as Tropical Storm Michael starts moving northward over the next couple days.
Tropical Storm force winds are extending 35 miles out from the center of the storm with little change in strength expected over the over the next 48 hours.
9/6/12 Category 3 Hurricane
The 5 am update on 9/6/12 upgraded Hurricane Michael to a category 4 hurricane making it the first this year. A category 3 hurricane is a hurricane with maximum sustained winds between 111mph and 130 mph. Category 3, 4 and 5 hurricanes are considered major hurricane.
This strengthening happened very quickly. Hurricane Michael had just strengthened to a category 2 hurricane a 1am AST this morning (9/6/12)
September 6th, 2012 at 6:19 am
Here is a little Hurricane Michael Trivia.
The long term average of Atlantic Tropical Storms per season is 12, Michael passed this average by being number 13.
The long term average of Atlantic hurricanes per season is 6, Michael passed this average by being number 7.
Hurricane Michael is also the first Category 3 hurricane, or the first major hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic Tropical Storm season.