2 am Sunday: Hurricane Irma Intermediate Advisory

At 200 AM EDT (0600 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Irma was located near

latitude 23.7 North, longitude 81.3 West. Irma is moving slowly

northwestward toward the lower Florida Keys at near 6 mph (9 km/h).

A turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed

is expected through late Monday.  On the forecast track, the center

of Irma is expected to cross the Lower Florida Keys during the next

several hours, and then move near or along the west coast of Florida

this afternoon through Monday morning.  Irma should then move inland

over the Florida panhandle and southwestern Georgia Monday

afternoon.


Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft

indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph

(210 km/h) with higher gusts.  Irma is now a category 4 hurricane on

the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  Irma is forecast to

restrengthen a little more while it moves through the Straits of

Florida and remain a powerful hurricane as it approaches the Florida

Keys and the west coast of Florida.


Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from

the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205

miles (335 km).  A private anemometer at Marathon Key, Florida,

recently reported a wind gust of 88 mph (141 km/h).


SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:


A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...

* South Santee River southward to Jupiter Inlet

* North Miami Beach southward around the Florida peninsula to the

Ochlockonee River

* Florida Keys

* Tampa Bay


A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...

* Fernandina Beach southward around the Florida peninsula to Indian

Pass

* Florida Keys

* Lake Okeechobee

* Florida Bay

* Cuban provinces of Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara,

Matanzas, and La Habana

* Andros Island, Bimini, and Grand Bahama


A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

* North of Fernandina Beach to Edisto Beach


A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* West of Indian Pass to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line

* North of Fernandina Beach to South Santee River


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