Former Tropical Storm Don strengthened to a hurricane over the Gulf Stream on Saturday afternoon. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Hurricane Don was located at latitude 40.1°N and longitude 50.0°W which put it about 480 miles (775 km) south-southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Don was moving toward the north at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 988 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Don intensified to a hurricane as it moved over the warm water in the Gulf Stream on Saturday afternoon. A small circular eye formed at the center of Hurricane Don. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Don. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. The removal of mass allowed the surface pressure to decrease to 988 mb at the center of Hurricane Don.

The circulation around Hurricane Don was small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 15 miles (25 km) from the center of Don’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Don will move into an environment that will be very unfavorable for a hurricane during the next 24 hours. Don will move north of the Gulf Stream where the Sea Surface Temperatures are colder than 26˚C. An upper level trough over eastern Canada will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Don’s circulation. Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase on Sunday. The combination of much colder water and more vertical wind shear will cause Hurricane Don to weaken during the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Don will move around the northwestern part of a hurricane pressure system over the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The high pressure system and the upper level trough over eastern Canada will steer Don toward the northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Don will stay southeast of Newfoundland.