Ike strengthens to hurricane

MIAMI, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Ike debuted as a hurricane Wednesday afternoon, moving westward toward the Caribbean, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported.

At 5 p.m., Ike was about 670 miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands with sustained Category 1 winds of 80 mph, just above the 74 mph hurricane threshold, the Miami center said.

Ike was moving west-northwest near 18 mph and was expected to turn west late Thursday and Friday to the west-central Atlantic.

Hurricane force winds extended up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm winds extended outward as much as 160 miles, the report said.

"It is too early to determine what, if any, land areas might be directly affected by Ike," the National Hurricane Center said.