 Hurricane Ivan again reached Category 4 status as it entered the Caribbean Sea . Subsequently , it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle , and for about 18 hours the intensity remained constant as it paralleled the northern coast of Venezuela offshore . Another period of rapid deepening began late on September 8 as its motion turned to the west @-@ northwest . Hurricane Hunters recorded flight @-@ level sustained winds of 180 mph ( 290 km / h ) to the north and northeast of the eye , and a dropsonde about 630 feet ( 190 m ) above the surface recorded winds of 200 mph ( 325 km / h ) and an extrapolated pressure of 916 mbar ( 27 @.@ 05 inHg ) . Based on the reports , it is estimated Ivan attained Category 5 status at 0600 UTC on September 9 , while located about 90 miles ( 145 km ) north of Aruba . At the time , the cyclone was forecast to strike southern Florida as a major hurricane . 
