The cyclone gradually intensified until September NUMBER@1 , when it underwent rapid deepening and reached Category NUMBER@2 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale ; at the time PERSON@1 was the southernmost major hurricane on record .

The cyclone slowly intensified until September NUMBER@1 , when it underwent rapid deepening and reached Category NUMBER@2 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale ; at the time PERSON@1 was the southernmost major hurricane on record .
