This Tuesday morning Hurricane IRMA with maximum sustained winds at close to 150 mph (240 km/h) and higher gusts went into Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. IRMA was located this morning at 16.6N 57.0W, 424km east of Guadeloupe and 1.220km southeast of the island of Hispaniola according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

IRMA is moving westward at nearly 14 km/h and this general trajectory is expected to continue today, followed by a shift towards the northwest this evening. A NOAA Hurricane Hunter

plane is scheduled to be in the eye of Irma within the hour.

Hurricane force winds extend outwardly up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical storms force up to 140 miles (220 km).

IRMA could reach Haiti's north coast by Thursday to Friday

On Monday in Haiti, the Permanent Secretariat of Risk Management (SPGRD) triggered at midday, the pre-alert phase 1 to the level of yellow vigilance.

"The IRMA Center could cross the Lesser Antilles on Tuesday," said the Hydrometeorological Unit of Haiti (UHM) in its first bulletin of vigilance "The system should then continue to approach Haiti, retaining its characteristics of major hurricane adding "IRMA hurricane should place the country under the threat of storm winds in about three days. Heavy storms are expected to fall on the northern part of the country before gradually becoming widespread. A stormy sea could overwhelm much of the northern coast of the country."

The SPGRD, together with the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) and the UHM, "demands that the Haitian population, particularly the inhabitants of areas at risk of flooding and land movements, to prepare and stay tuned to weather reports and safety guidelines that will be broadcast throughout the passage of this dangerous system."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21993-haiti-flash-irma-returns-to-category-3.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21983-haiti-flash-hurricane-irma-uncertain-trajectory-the-dpc-is-ready.html

HL/ HaitiLibre