Maria hits Dominica, other Caribbean islands battered by Hurricane Irma

go through Wireline staff

September 17, 2017 at 4:04 pm

Maria’s condition is getting worse.

Roseau, Dominica (TDN)
– Tropical Storm Maria is moving across the Atlantic Ocean today (Sunday) and is expected to develop into a hurricane before affecting Dominica and other islands in the Eastern Caribbean. Forecasters predicted Sunday afternoon that the eye of Hurricane Maria could make direct landfall on Dominica, Guadeloupe, or Antigua before targeting countries already hit by Hurricane Irma, such as French and Dutch Sint Maarten, the British Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. At 2:00 p.m. Sunday, the center of Tropical Storm Maria was located at 13.5 degrees north and 56.9 degrees west with sustained winds of 65 mph. This is about 350 miles east-southeast of Dominica. Maria is moving northwest at 15 mph. Current conditions allow Hurricane Maria to further strengthen, possibly becoming a hurricane by Sunday night, and is expected to reach Category 2 or 3 strength as it passes through the Lesser Antilles Monday night into Tuesday morning. Forecasters cite low wind shear, warm oceans, and moist mid-tropospheric air masses as reasons for the hurricane’s expected strengthening. Maria’s forward speed is expected to slow significantly on Sunday and Monday, which will ultimately determine which islands the hurricane passes over. This could mean a direct hit on Guadeloupe or Antigua instead of the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, hurricane warnings have been issued for Dominica and Guadeloupe, and the hurricane alert has been extended to Antigua, St. Martin and Anguilla.