Atlantic hurricane best track Over the course of the succeeding week, the tropical cyclone moved in a general westward direction as it gradually intensified, reaching hurricane intensity by 0000 UTC on September 5 and then attaining the equivalent of a modern-day Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale at 0600 UTC on September 8.Atlantic hurricane best track Up until this time, its existence and trek across the central Atlantic was only inferred, however, aircraft reconnaissance detected and as such confirmed the existence of the tropical cyclone the following day while the hurricane was situated approximately 900 miles east of Antigua.