At 5pm the eye of the Category 5 hurricane IRMA is located near latitude 18.8 north, longitude 65.4 west, or 65 km north east of Puerto Rico, 315 km from the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, Irma moves west-northwest at 16 mph (26 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue over the next few days. On the forecast track, the extremely dangerous core of Irma will pass just north of Puerto Rico tonight, pass near or just north of the coast of Hispaniola Thursday, and be near the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas by Thursday evening.

Maximum sustained winds are nearly 185 mph (295 km / h) with higher gusts. Irma is a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely over the next two days, but Irma is expected to remain a powerful category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles (85 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km).

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with Haiti, Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Le Mole St. Nicholas. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Haiti from south of Le Mole St. Nicholas to Port-Au-Prince.

The National Meteorological Center (CNM) informs that the first impacts of the system are expected very early on Thursday morning with sustained gusts, widespread downpours and a stormy sea over the northern region of the country.

HL/ Haitilibre