Tropical Storm Gordon Likely to Gain Hurricane Strength
GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: Weather forecasters are busy today tracking Tropical Storm Gordon, nowhere more closely than the National Hurricane Center in Miami. We're joined from there by Lixion Avila. Tell us about the threat.</s>LIXION AVILA, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Well, Gordon is almost a hurricane. A reconnaissance plane found 989 -- or 986 millibars, and probably afternoon will be a hurricane.</s>RANDALL: For house is who don't understand millibars, what does that mean?</s>AVILA: It means that the pressure is coming down, and the winds are going to increase, probably will reach 75 miles per hour.</s>RANDALL: Is there any way to predict the track of this storm?</s>AVILA: Well, we're trying to do that, and we think that by 36 hours it will be very close, somewhere around the area of northwest Florida.</s>RANDALL: In the meantime, are people well advised to take precautions?</s>AVILA: Well, we have a tropical storm warning for portions of Florida and a hurricane watch for a large portion of Florida, all the way from Bonita Beach to Appalachiacola.</s>RANDALL: Mr. Avila, thanks very much, and I know you'll have a busy 36 hours or so ahead of you. Thanks for being with us.</s>AVILA: Thanks.