Hurricane Maria will strike the Leeward Islands later Monday, then will intensify and take aim on the storm-weary Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and other parts of the northeast Caribbean still recovering from a devastating hit from Hurricane Irma less than two weeks ago.
Maria is currently located about 85 miles east of Martinique and is moving west-northwest at 10 to 15 mph.
A hurricane warning is now in effect for Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Martinique and St. Lucia. A tropical storm warning has been issued for Antigua and Barbuda, St. Maarten Saba and St. Eustatius.
Hurricane watches have been extended to include Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra, and remain in effect for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy and Anguilla.
Tropical storm watches have been posted for Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Maria is gaining strength and will likely become a major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger) soon as it passes through the northeast Caribbean Islands due to a combination of low wind shear, a moist atmosphere and warm ocean temperatures.
The NHC 5 a.m. Monday forecast discussion noted "considerable lightning occurring" in the convection near the center, a sign of the potential for rapid intensification.
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.
Interestingly, the potential for Jose to stall off the Northeast coast this weekend could play some role in determining Maria's long-term future path.
Also, if Maria interacts with the higher terrain of Puerto Rico and/or Hispañola, that could also affect its future track and intensity.
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.
https://weather.com/storms/hurrican...a-lesser-antilles-northeast-caribbean-islands