Data from an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 150 mph with higher gusts.

Gustav is an extremely dangerous Category Four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Some fluctuations with an overall slight strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours and Gustav could reach Category Five intensity during this period. Gustav is forecast to remain a major hurricane through landfall along the northern gulf coast.

At 5 p.m., a hurricane watch is issued for the northern Gulf Coast from east of High Island, Texas eastward to the Alabama-Florida border including the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain

The eye of Hurricane Gustav was located near latitude 22.1 north and longitude 82.9 west or about 130 miles east-northeast of the western tip of Cuba and about 80 miles south-southwest of Havana, Cuba. Do not venture outside during the passage of the eye since winds will soon rapidly increase as eyewall again passes. The eye is also currently centered about 620 miles southeast of the north-central

GGustav is moving toward the northwest near 15 mph and this general motion is expected to continue during the next couple of days. On this track the center of Gustav will cross western Cuba Saturday night then emerge over the southern Gulf of Mexico early on Sunday and reach the northern gGulf on Monday.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.

The minimum central pressure recently reported by the reconnaissance aircraft was 942 mb...27.82 inches.