THE CENTER OF WILMA IS FORECAST TO BE NEAR THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA EARLY MONDAY MORNING.  HOWEVER...WILMA IS A LARGE SYSTEM AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL REACH THE FLORIDA KEYS AND FLORIDA PENINSULA WELL BEFORE THE EYE MAKES LANDFALL.

DATA FROM AIR FORCE AND NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT THIS EVENING INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE NOW INCREASED TO NEAR 110 MPH...175 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  WILMA IS A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY... AND WILMA COULD BE NEAR CATEGORY THREE...MAJOR HURRICANE... STRENGTH AS IT NEARS THE SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA COAST MONDAY MORNING.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO  85 MILES...140 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES...370 KM.  A WIND GUST TO 85 MPH WAS RECENTLY REPORTED IN HAVANA CUBA... AND A GUST TO 55 MPH WAS REPORTED AT DRY TORTUGAS.  SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE OCCURRING OVER THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND WESTERN CUBA... AND THESE WINDS SHOULD REACH THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS BY MIDNIGHT... AND SPREAD EASTWARD TO
THE MIDDLE KEYS AND THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COAST BY SUNRISE MONDAY MORNING.