Gustav strenghtens to 'dangerous' hurricane category

Hurricane Gustav is now a dangerous Category 3 storm with winds near 115mph, the US National Hurricane Centre warned today.

The centre said the latest data from a US Air Force reconnaissance plane show that Gustav is continuing to strengthen rapidly.

As of 10am Irish time, Gustav was centred about 255 miles east-southeast of the western tip of Cuba and moving northwest at a speed of 12mph.

The centre of Gustav was expected to move over western Cuba later today and into the southern Gulf of Mexico early tomorrow.