Hurricane Isaias strengthens to Category 3 ahead of U.S. Gulf Coast landfall

First Atlantic hurricane of 2026 forms during record-quiet El Niño season

Hurricane Isaias, the first named storm to reach hurricane strength in the Atlantic this season, has intensified into a Category 3 “major” hurricane, according to BBC News. The storm is forecast to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast late Friday.

Hurricane hunter aircraft flying through the storm on Friday morning measured sustained wind speeds of 120 mph (193 km/h), the BBC reported. The storm is expected to bring damaging winds, torrential rain and a storm surge to parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued for affected coastal areas ahead of the storm’s arrival, according to the BBC.

Isaias is the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, which has been record-breakingly quiet, with storm development suppressed by a growing El Niño weather pattern, according to the BBC.