Preparations within the warning area should be rushed to completion.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Residents of St. Maarten/ St. Martin and other surrounding islands that are under hurricane warning are advised to finish up their hurricane preparation as Hurricane Irma is expected to strengthen as it makes landfall Tuesday night. Hurricane Irma was located at 5 pm on Monday at 16.7N 54.4 W it is about 580 ESE miles from St. Maarten/ St. Martin.
Irma is moving toward the West near 13 Mph (20 Km/H). This Motion is expected to continue into Tuesday,
Hurricane conditions are expected in St. Maarten by late Tuesday night however Tropical storm force winds are expected earlier Tuesday evening.
Irma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 3-6 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches across the Leeward Islands.
The combination of a dangerous storm surge and large breaking waves will raise water levels by as much as 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels along the coasts of St Maarten. Near the coast, the
surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
The most recent update said: “On the forecast track, the center of Irma will move near or over portions of the northern Leeward Islands Tuesday night and early Wednesday.”
But after this point, long-range spaghetti models are showing a wide spread of possible tracks because there is still uncertainty over where Irma will go next.
Hurricane warnings have been issued for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St Eustatius, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy.
Hurricane watches are in effect for British and US Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra. Dominica is under a Tropical Storm Warning.
In a recent NHC discussion, forecaster Robbie Berg said the hurricane would turn westward later today and then west-northwestward within 48 hours.
IRMA Strengthens as it heads toward the Leeward Islands.
