Miami, Fla. (970 WFLA)- At 8:00 AM, the center of Hurricane Maria was located near latitude 14.6 North, longitude 59.7 West. Maria is about 85 miles east of Martinique, and about 120 miles east-southeast of Dominca.
Maria is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph , and this motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected through Tuesday night. On the forecast track, the center of Maria will move across the Leeward Islands late today and tonight, and then over the extreme northeastern Caribbean Sea Tuesday and Tuesday night. Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 110 mph with higher gusts.
Maria is currently a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional rapid strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Maria is expected to become a dangerous major hurricane before it moves through the Leeward Islands. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles (30 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.
The minimum central pressure estimated from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft data is 967 mb (28.56 inches).
Graphic Credit: NHC Miami