At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the distinct eye of Hurricane Irma was located by a reconnaissance plane and Cuban radars near latitude 22.0 North, longitude 76.0 West. Irma has been moving toward the west near 14 mph (22 km/h), but the hurricane should resume a west-northwest motion later today. A turn toward the northwest is expected by late Saturday. On the forecast track, the eye of Irma should continue to move near the north coast of Cuba and the central Bahamas for the rest of today and Saturday, and be near the Florida Keys and the southern Florida Peninsula Sunday morning.
Maximum sustained winds are near 155 mph (250 km/h) with higher gusts. Irma is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely to continue during the next day or two, and Irma is expected to remain a powerful category 4 hurricane as it approaches Florida.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km).
WATCHES AND WARNINGS -------------------- CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
The Hurricane Warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands has been discontinued.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for... * Sebastian Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Venice * Florida Keys
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for... * North of Sebastian Inlet to Ponce Inlet
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach * Florida Keys * Lake Okeechobee * Florida Bay * Southeastern Bahamas * Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, and Villa Clara * Central Bahamas * Northwestern Bahamas
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * North of Jupiter Inlet to the Flagler/Volusia County Line * North of Bonita Beach to Anclote River * Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, Las Tunas and Matanzas
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas