wave reported that a surface circulation had developed and by 1200 UTC, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) estimated that a tropical depression, the seventh of the season, while situated about 345 miles (555 kilometres) south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. The depression tracked roughly due west in response to a mid-level ridge, building westward, to the north of the cyclone. Throughout the day, banding features developed around the system and deep convection consolidated around the center of circulation. Roughly 24 hours after being declared a depression, the NHC upgraded the system to a tropical storm and gave it the name Georges. For the following ten days, Georges maintained a general west-northwest track for ten days due to a persistent mid to upper-level tropospheric ridge. Gradual intensification took place as the system developed strong outflow and warm sea surface temperatures aided in fueling further development. Easterly wind shear caused disruption of the storms' outflow; however, the center, previously surrounded by two deep areas of convection, was situated underneath one area of thunderstorm activity. By the late morning hours of September 17, an eyewall developed within the circulation, indicating that Georges was nearing hurricane-status. Peak intensity and Lesser Antilles Later on September 17, a banding-eye feature appeared on satellite imagery, leading the NHC to upgrade Georges into a hurricane at 1800 UTC that day. The next day, an anticyclone began to develop over the hurricane, enhancing the storms' outflow. Several hours later, Georges attained Category 2 status as sustained winds around the eye increased to . Ahead of the storm, the NHC reported that there were no factors inhibiting further intensification and anticipated Georges to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane before reaching the Lesser Antilles. A concentric eyewall began to develop late on September 18, briefly stalling the strengthening of the storm. This resulted from an eyewall replacement cycle that led to the formation of a larger eye. On September 19 and 20, Georges underwent a period of rapid intensification, in which winds increased by in a 24-hour span. At the end of this phase, Georges attained its peak intensity with winds of and a barometric pressure of 937 mbar (hPa; ), just below Category 5 status. At the time of peak intensity, a Hurricane Hunter mission into the storm recorded flight-level winds up to while dropsondes measured surface winds up to . One of the readings from a dropsonde, that