▁aircraft ▁reached ▁the ▁storm ▁and ▁reported ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁already ▁near ing ▁ty ph oon ▁status . ▁S ust ained ▁wind s ▁were ▁measured ▁at ▁ 1 1 0   km / h ▁( 7 0   m ph ) ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁bar ometric ▁pressure ▁of ▁ 9 8 5   m bar ▁( h Pa ; ▁ 2 9 . 1 2   in H g ). ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁cy clone ▁storm ▁was ▁class ified ▁as ▁Trop ical ▁Storm ▁Kate , ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁named ▁storm ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁season . ▁Additionally , ▁the ▁storm ▁had ▁begun ▁developing ▁an ▁e y ew all , ▁an ▁indic ation ▁that ▁the ▁system ▁was ▁likely ▁to ▁intens ify ▁further . ▁Over ▁the ▁following ▁three ▁days , ▁the ▁storm ▁continued ▁its ▁west ward ▁track ▁while ▁gain ing ▁strength . ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁day ▁on ▁October   1 6 , ▁Kate ▁under w ent ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁rapid ▁intens ification . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁sust ained ▁wind s ▁increased ▁from ▁ 1 4 0   km / h ▁( 8 5   m ph ) ▁to ▁ 2 1 5   km / h ▁( 1 3 5   m ph ), ▁ranking ▁Kate ▁as ▁a ▁Category   4 ▁ty ph oon ▁on ▁the ▁modern ▁day ▁S aff ir – Sim pson ▁H urr icane ▁Sc ale . ▁Early ▁on ▁October   1 7 , ▁reconna issance ▁plan es ▁flow n ▁into ▁the ▁ty ph oon ▁measured