This morning at 5:00 am, the center of Cat. 5 Hurricane Irma on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, was located near latitude 20.0 North, longitude 68.3 West, or 160 km north of the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic and 415 km north-east of Cap-Haitien.

Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 17 mph (28 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue with some decrease in forward speed for the next couple of days. On the forecast track, the center should pass north of the coast of Hispaniola later today, be near the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas by this evening, and then be near the Central Bahamas by Friday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Maximum sustained winds are near 180 mph (285 km/h) with higher gusts. Irma is a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Irma is forecast to remain a powerful category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles (85 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km).

The combination of a life-threatening storm surge and large breaking waves will raise water levels above normal tide levels by the following amounts within the hurricane warning area near and to the north of the center of Irma. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves on the North Coast of Haiti and the Gulf of Gonâve where floods are to be feared...

Hurricane conditions are expected to begin within the hurricane warning area in the Dominican Republic and Haiti today, with tropical storm conditions beginning in the next few hours.

Irma is expected to produce the following rain

accumulations through Saturday in the Northern Dominican Republic and northern Haiti...4 to 10 inches (10 à 25 cm),

isolated 15 inches (37cm).

In the Southern Haiti 1 to 4 inches (2,5 à 10 cm) of rain is excepted.

Flights canceled :

Port-au-Prince

Le vol de Jet Blue 1510 à destination de Fort Lauderdale a été annulé

Le vol de Jet Blue 1509 en provenance de Fort Lauderdale a été annulé

Le vol de Jet Blue 1835 en provenance de New York a été annulé

The flight Jet Blue 1510 to Fort Lauderdale was canceled

The flight Jet Blue 1509 from Fort Lauderdale was canceled

The flight Jet Blue 1835 from New York was canceled

Cap-Haïtien

The flight American Airlines 2732 from New York was canceled

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22031-haiti-irma-first-impacts-very-early-thursday-morning.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22029-haiti-flash-general-mobilization-face-the-irma-threat.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22022-haiti-flash-closure-of-all-schools.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22021-haiti-flash-irma-in-category-5-haiti-in-orange-alert.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22011-haiti-flash-irma-in-category-4-haiti-in-yellow-pre-alert.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21993-haiti-flash-irma-returns-to-category-3.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21983-haiti-flash-hurricane-irma-uncertain-trajectory-the-dpc-is-ready.html

SL/ HaitiLibre