CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
The Hurricane Warning and the Storm Surge Warning are extended
northward along the Florida West coast from Anclote River to
Chassahowitzka.
The Hurricane Warning is extended northward along the Florida East
coast to the Flagler/Volusia County Line.
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued north of Fernandina Beach to
Altamaha Sound, Georgia.
Additional Watches and Warnings may be required for portions of the
coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, as well as portions of the
Florida Gulf Coast later today.
At 500 AM EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Irma was located
near latitude 22.5 North, longitude 78.8 West. Irma is moving toward
the west-northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h). A turn toward the
northwest is expected by late today, with a turn toward the
north-northwest expected tonight or on Sunday. 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.
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
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 195
miles (315 km).
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 Chassahowitzka
* 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 Chassahowitzka to Suwannee River
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Flagler/Volusia County Line southward around the Florida peninsula
to Chassahowitzka
* 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 Flagler/Volusia County Line to Fernandina Beach
* North and west of Chassahowitzka 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
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* North of Fernandina Beach to Altamaha Sound