5 pm Wednesday: Hurricane Maria Advisory

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Hurricane Warning for the U.S. Virgin Islands has been discontinued.

The government of Antigua and Barbuda has discontinued the Hurricane Warning for the British Virgin Islands.

At 500 PM AST (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Maria was located near latitude 18.8 North, longitude 67.3 West.  Maria is moving toward the northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h), and this general motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected through Thursday night. A turn toward the north-northwest is forecast on Friday.  On the forecast track, the center of Maria will continue to move away from the northwestern coast of Puerto Rico this evening.  The center will then pass offshore of the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic tonight and Thursday and then move near the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas Thursday night and Friday.

Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 110 mph (175 km/h) with higher gusts.  Some strengthening is forecast during the next day or two, and Maria could regain major hurricane status by Thursday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles (240 km).

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... * Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques * Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to Puerto Plata * Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southeastern Bahamas

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... * Dominican Republic west of Puerto Plata to the northern border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti * Dominican Republic west of Cabo Engano to Punta Palenque

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for... * Dominican Republic from Isla Saona to Cabo Engano


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