PHILIPSBURG:--- Irma has strengthened by 11 AM on Thursday to a category 2 hurricane. Forecasters state that Hurricane Irma could impact the Leeward islands by midweek. At that time the center of Hurricane Irma was located near latitude 16.9 North, longitude 33.8 West. That is about 1705 miles east of St. Maarten. Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph. This general motion is forecast through early Friday, followed by a generally westward motion on Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph (155 km/h) with higher gusts. Irma is forecast to become a major hurricane by tonight and is expected to be an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next several days. The Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS) will continue to monitor the progress of Irma and keep you updated. Members of the public are advised to monitor the updates on this system.
Irma a category 2 Hurricane, landfall expected next week.
