CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:
The government of the Dominican Republic has discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning along the southern coast of the Dominican Republic west of Cabo Engano.
At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the large eye of Hurricane Maria was located near latitude 20.8 North, longitude 69.8 West. Maria is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. A turn toward the north-northwest is forecast early Friday, with that motion continuing through Saturday. On the forecast track, Maria's eye will continue to pass offshore of the northern coast of the Dominican Republic this evening, and then move near or just east of the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas tonight and on Friday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts. Maria is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Little change in strength is expected during the next couple of days.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles (260 km).
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Puerto Plata * Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Dominican Republic west of Puerto Plata to the northern border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for... * Central Bahamas