Just days after Hurricane Irma hit the Caribbean and Florida, the region is bracing for another storm. Hurricane Maria is rapidly strengthening as it heads toward the area, becoming a Category 5 storm Monday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Illustrations of Hurricane Maria’s possible track shows the storm, which has winds going at 120 mph, moving over Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The storm is currently about 60 miles east of Martinique and is expected to hit the Leeward Islands on Monday. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect for several islands in the Caribbean, including the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to the model, Hurricane Maria could move further north and affect parts of the Bahamas. The storm’s current path would take Hurricane Maria near several of the same areas that were wrecked by Hurricane Irma, although it is still too soon to predict whether it will affect Florida.
Hurricane Maria is likely to affect Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Martin over the following days. You can follow the storm’s path here.
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