1 p.m. NHC Advisory

Chief Meteorologist Craig Carnesi here... Conditions are continuing to worsen across the southeastern portions of Texas and southwest Louisiana as Hurricane Rita moves closer. Right now, just showers and increased tides and winds have caused at least two levees in New Orleans to start dumping water back into the city.

The latest advisory below from the National Hurricane Center shows that Rita has weakened to a catagory 3 hurricane. The problem is, she will still continue to carry a storm surge with her of a catagory 4 or 5 storm. Even though she has weakend to a catagory 3 hurricane, the water has already been displaced ahead of her to create a storm surge more common a stronger storm.

AT 1 PM CDT...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RITA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 27.8 NORTH...LONGITUDE 92.2 WEST OR ABOUT 190 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 175 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.

RITA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH AND THIS MOTION ISEXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CORE OF RITA WILL MAKE LANDFALL NEAR THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND UPPER TEXAS COASTS EARLY SATURDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 125 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. RITA IS NOW A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. A FURTHER SLOW WEAKENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL...BUT RITA IS STILL EXPECTED TO COME ASHORE AS A DANGEROUS HURRICANE.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES FROM THECENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UPTO 205 MILES. AN ELEVATED PLATFORM ON ISLE DENIERES NEAR THE SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST JUST REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 58MPH.

LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCERECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS 931 MB...27.49 INCHES.