Hurricane Maria Takes Aim At Battered Caribbean

CNN reports:

Hurricane Maria is forecast to rapidly strengthen over the next two days as it takes aim at Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma just days ago. “Significant strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Maria is expected to become a dangerous major hurricane before it moves through the Leeward Islands,” according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest update.

In its 5 a.m. update, the hurricane center placed Maria about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Martinique and about 130 miles (215 east-southeast) of Dominica. The storm is currently a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph, and is forecast to continue moving toward the eastern Caribbean at 13 mph. Maria is likely to be at category 3 or 4 intensity by the time it moves into the extreme northeastern Caribbean Sea,” the center said in its forecast.