11 pm Tuesday: Hurricane Maria Advisory

At 1100 PM AST (0300 UTC), the center of Hurricane Maria was located

near latitude 17.3 North, longitude 64.7 West.  Maria is moving

toward the west-northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h).  A west-northwest

to northwest motion is expected to continue through Wednesday

night, followed by a northwestward motion on Thursday.  On the

forecast track, the eye of Maria will move near or over St. Croix

in the U.S. Virgin Islands within the next couple of hours, then

cross Puerto Rico on Wednesday, and pass just north of the

northeast coast of the Dominican Republic Wednesday night and

Thursday.


Maximum sustained winds are near 175 mph (280 km/h) with higher

gusts.  Maria is a potentially catastrophic category 5 hurricane on

the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  Some fluctuations in

intensity could occur before the hurricane reaches Puerto Rico, but

Maria is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous category 4 or 5

hurricane as it moves near or over the Virgin Islands and Puerto

Rico.  Slow weakening is expected after the hurricane emerges over

the Atlantic north of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.


Reports from reconnaissance aircraft indicate that the area of

hurricane-force winds has increased in size.  Hurricane-force winds

now extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and

tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles (240 km).



SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:


A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...

* U.S. Virgin Islands

* British Virgin Islands

* Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques

* Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Puerto Plata


A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* Saba and St. Eustatius

* St. Maarten

* Guadeloupe

* Dominican Republic west of Puerto Plata to the northern border of

the Dominican Republic and Haiti

* Dominican Republic west of Cabo Engano to Punta Palenque


A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

* Saba and St. Eustatius

* St. Maarten

* St. Martin and St. Barthelemy

* Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Cabo Engano

* Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas


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