Hurricane Isaias strengthens as it heads towards land

Isaias, the first hurricane in the Atlantic this hurricane season has been continuing to strengthen and is now a category three 'major' hurricane. Hurricane hunter aircraft have been flying in and around the storm on Friday morning, now measuring sustained wind speeds of 120mph (193km/h). Isaias is expected to bring damaging winds, torrential rain and a storm surge to parts of the US Gulf Coast with landfall expected late Friday.

Hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued. It has been a record-breakingly quiet Atlantic season so far with development suppressed by the growing El Niño pattern. Read more about Isaias and the El Niño weather event affecting the Atlantic hurricane season here.