The government of the Bahamas has discontinued the Hurricane Warning for the southeastern Bahamas, except for Ragged Island.
At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Irma was located near latitude 22.2 North, longitude 77.2 West. Irma is moving toward the west near 12 mph (19 km/h), and 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 tonight 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, but Irma is expected to remain a powerful 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).
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 the Flagler/Volusia County line * North of Venice to Anclote River * Tampa Bay
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Sebastian Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Anna Maria Island * Florida Keys * Lake Okeechobee * Florida Bay * Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, and Villa Clara * Central Bahamas and Ragged Island * Northwestern Bahamas
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * North of Sebastian Inlet to the Flagler/Volusia County Line * North of Anna Maria Island to the Suwannee 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