KINGSTON, Jamaica — A potentially catastrophic category 5 Hurricane Irma is nearing the northern Leeward Islands an advisory from the Meteorological (Met) Service of Jamaica says.

At 4:00 pm the distinct eye of Hurricane Irma was located near latitude 17.1 North; longitude 59.8 West or 210 kilometres east of Antigua.

Irma is moving toward the west near 24 km/h, the Met Service said.

A turn toward the west-northwest is forecast to begin tonight and continue for the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the extremely dangerous core of Irma will move over portions of the northern Leeward Islands tonight and early Wednesday, move near or over portions of the northern Virgin Islands Wednesday, and pass near or just north of Puerto Rico late Wednesday and Wednesday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 295-kilometre per hour with higher gusts. Irma is an extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, the Met Service said.

Although Hurricane Irma is not a direct threat to Jamaica, projections are for spiral bands associated with the system to affect the island with periods of moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms especially on Friday and Saturday.