Miami, Fla. (970 WFLA)- At 8:00 AM, the center of Hurricane Maria was located near latitude 16.2 North, longitude 62.8 West. Maria is about 85 miles west of Guadeloupe, about 170 miles southeast of St. Croix.
Maria is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through Wednesday. On the forecast track, the eye of Maria will move over the northeastern Caribbean Sea today, and approach the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico tonight and Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 160 mph with higher gusts. Maria is a potentially catastrophic category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Maria is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous category 4 or 5 hurricane while it approaches the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) fromthe center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles. Sustained tropical storm force winds have recently been reported from Guadeloupe and Antigua.
The minimum central pressure estimated from Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter data is 933 mb (27.55 inches).
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Guadeloupe * Dominica * St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat * U.S. Virgin Islands * British Virgin Islands * Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Antigua and Barbuda * Saba and St. Eustatius * St. Maarten * Anguilla * Martinique
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Saba and St. Eustatius * St. Maarten * St. Martin and St. Barthelemy * Anguilla * Isla Saona to Puerto Plata
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * West of Puerto Plata to the northern Dominican Republic-Haiti border
Hurricane conditions will continue to spread throughout portions of the hurricane warning area in the Leeward Islands this morning. Hurricane conditions should spread through the remainder of the hurricane warning area later today and Wednesday. Hurricane conditions are possible within the hurricane watch area in the Dominican Republic late Wednesday, with tropical storm conditions possible by early Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch area in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
A dangerous storm surge accompanied by large and destructive waves will raise water levels by as much as 7 to 11 feet above normal tide levels in the hurricane warning area near where the center of Maria moves across the Leeward Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.
The water is expected to reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide..Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands...6 to 9 ft.
Graphic Credit: NHC Miami