Hurricane Laura's Rapid Intensification in Satellite Images: Cat 1 to Cat 4 in 24 Hours

This first satellite loop shows Laura's rapid intensification from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon. Maximum sustained winds increased by 65 mph in the 24 hours ending 1 p.m. CDT on Wednesday. That means Laura went from a 75 mph Category 1 to a Category 4 major hurricane with 140 mph winds.

Here is a closer view of Laura on infrared satellite just after it became a Category 3 on Wednesday morning.

Click the play button below to see an animated view of Laura on satellite and the lightning it was producing when it became a major hurricane.

This image is a computer model simulation of Laura's wind field as it approached the Gulf Coast overlayed on satellite on Wednesday morning. Tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 175 miles from the center at that time.

Laura's satellite appearance dominated this wider view of the Atlantic basin on Wednesday morning. No other named storms were active at the time.

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