NHC/NOAA Hurricane Maria estimated wind arrival forecast from 11:00 a.m. ET, September 18.
Less than two weeks after Hurricane Irma, islands in the Caribbean are bracing for another major hurricane. On Monday, Hurricane Maria strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane and is less than 40 miles (70 km) north of the French island of Martinique. The island is under a Tropical Storm Warning.
National Hurricane Center
The 11 a.m. ET public advisory from the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reports that Maria is only 60 miles (95 km) east of Martinique. Its maximum sustained winds are at 120 mph (195 kmh), meaning that it is easily a Category 3 Hurricane already. It is moving at 10 mph (17 kmh), so Martinique is expected to feel its effects by the end of today.
Hurricane Maria may grow to Category 3 or 4 as it impacts US & British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Tue-Wed #wcvb
Martinique is under a Tropical Storm Warning. This “means that tropical storm conditions are
expected somewhere within the warning area.”
NHC issues heir 11am advisory for Hurricane #Maria– now a major hurricane with winds of 120mph. PR and other islands need to rush preps…
By the time it reached Martinique, Maria was on the higher end of a Category 3 hurricane. However, it is expected to strengthen. It reached 160 mph (260 kmh) by 8 p.m. ET, making it a Category 5.
“The potential for a life-threatening storm surge, accompanied by large and destructive waves, has increased for the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico,” the NHC notes. “Maria will affect portions of the Leeward Islands and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands as an extremely dangerous major hurricane during the next couple of days, and hurricane warnings are in effect for many of these islands.”
As Newsweek points out, Martinique was one of the islands that managed to escape major impacts from Irma earlier this month. In fact, Martinique officials were able to spare 39 firefighters to help out Saint Martin.
“Our thoughts also go out to all our colleagues in the tourism industry affected by Hurricane Irma. We in Martinique realize how fortunate we were to have been totally spared,” Karine Mousseau, Martinique Tourism Commissioner, said in a statement.
Martinique has an estimated population of 385,500 and is an overseas region and department of France, meaning that it part of the European Union and uses the euro as currency.
