At 200 AM EDT (0600 UTC), the center of Hurricane Irma was located
by Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft and Cuban radar data
near latitude 22.3 North, longitude 78.2 West. Irma is moving toward
the west near 12 mph (19 km/h). A turn toward the northwest is
expected by late today. On the forecast track, the center of Irma
will move near the north coast of Cuba today, near the Florida Keys
Sunday morning, and then near the southwest coast of Florida Sunday
afternoon.
Reports from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum
sustained winds are near 160 mph (260 km/h) with higher gusts. Irma
is a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind
Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely 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). Camaguey, Cuba, recently reported a wind gust of
70 mph (113 km/h).
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...
* Volusia/Brevard County Line southward around the Florida peninsula
to Anclote River
* Florida Keys
* Tampa Bay
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
* North of the Volusia/Brevard County Line to the Flagler/Volusia
County line
* North of Anclote River to Suwannee River
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Volusia/Brevard County Line southward around the Florida peninsula
to Anclote River
* Florida Keys
* Lake Okeechobee
* Florida Bay
* Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus,
Villa Clara, and Matanzas
* Central Bahamas and Ragged Island
* Northwestern Bahamas
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* North of the Volusia/Brevard County Line to Fernandina Beach
* North and west of Anclote River to Indian Pass
* Cuban provinces of Holguin and Las Tunas
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* Cuban provinces of Holguin, Las Tunas, La Habana, and Ciudad de
la Habana