Hurricane Irma Public Advisory
DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
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At 500 AM AST (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Irma was located
near latitude 18.2 North, longitude 36.5 West. Irma is moving
toward the west-northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h). A turn toward the
west is expected by tonight, followed by a turn toward the
west-southwest on Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 115 mph (185 km/h) with higher
gusts. Irma is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Wind Scale. Fluctuations in strength, up or down, are
possible during the next few days, but Irma is expected to
remain a powerful hurricane through the weekend.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles (30 km) from the
center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles
(150 km).
The estimated minimum central pressure is 967 mb (28.56 inches).