Irma now a category 3; to remain powerful over next several days
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hurricane Irma has upgraded to a category 3 storm over the Eastern Atlantic, according to the Meteorological (Met) Service of Jamaica.
At 4:00 pm, the centre of Hurricane Irma was located near latitude 17.3 degrees North and longitude 34.8 degrees West or 2865 km east of the Leeward Islands. It is not a threat to Jamaica.
The Met Service said Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 19 km/h. This motion is expected to continue today, followed by a westward turn on Saturday, and a west-southwestward motion by Sunday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 185 km/h with higher gusts. Irma is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The Met Service said fluctuations in strength, both up and down, are possible, but Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane for several days.
The Meteorological Service said it will continue to monitor this system.
