Hurricane Maria Strengthens To Category 3, Could Take Same Path As Irma

Hurricane Maria has rapidly strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane, and it could take the same path as Irma.

As of 11 a.m. ET, Maria was about 60 miles east of Martinique. It’s expected to make first landfall around 8 p.m. ET in the Leeward Islands, specifically Dominica and Guadeloupe.

It’s expected to hit Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands early Wednesday, potentially as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. Evacuation orders have already been issued for parts of Puerto Rico.

As for the East Coast of the United States, it’s still too early to determine Maria’s impact:

Whether Maria will ever pose an East Coast threat will depend on steering currents in the upper atmosphere over the western Atlantic Ocean and the eastern United States that cannot be pinned down more than a week in advance.

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If Maria would strike the U.S., and again, that is not by any means a certainty, that would not happen until early next week.

For now, all residents along the East Coast and Gulf Coast should monitor the progress of Maria.

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