Hurricane Rita moved on shore this morning near Sabine Pass. Still a dangerous Category Three hurricane packing winds of 120mph, her effects will be felt well into today. Read more about Hurricane Rita Storms Ashore

Still a very dangerous hurricane, Rita is on a slow weakening trend with winds currently at 125mph. Hurricane Rita continues to move toward the northwest near 10mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours. On this track, the core of Hurricane Rita will make landfall near the southwest Louisiana and upper Texas coasts early Saturday.

National Hurricane Center

Extremely dangerous Category Four Hurricane Rita with winds up to 140mph continues toward the southwest Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts.

National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Rita continues the west-northwest track with outer rain bands spreading over southern Louisiana.

At 7pm, the center of Hurricane Rita was located about 350 miles east-southeast of Galveston Texas and about 290 miles southeast of Cameron Louisiana. Read more about Hurricane Rita Downgraded — Still Very Dangerous

Hurricane Rita, with winds near 175mph, is proving herself to be a potentially catastrophic Category Five storm as she moves west-northwestward across the central Gulf of Mexico at 9mph.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 70 miles and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.

National Hurricane Center

Satellite imagery suggests that Hurricane Rita has continued to strengthen and maximum sustained winds have increased to near 135mph with higher gusts. Rita is now a Category Four — very dangerous — hurricane. NOAA planes will check the intensity later today. Some additional strengthening is possible.

National Hurricane Center

Hurricane Rita has become a Category Three storm packing winds near 120mph with higher gusts. Rita is moving into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and continues to strengthen. Read more about Hurricane Rita Bigger, Stronger

Hurricane Rita’s winds have reached 100mph making it a Category Two storm.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 120 miles. Read more about Hurricane Rita Strengthens to Category Two

Hurricane Rita, the ninth hurricane to form for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season is well on her way.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for all of the Florida Keys and from Golden Beach on the Florida Southwest Coast southward to East cape Sable, then Northward to Chokoloskee on the southwest coast. Read more about Hurricane Rita is Number Nine

Rita has reached hurricane strength as it continues to swirl through the Straits of Florida lashing the Florida Keys with bursts of heavy rain and strong winds.

Source: The Weather Channel