Hurricane Maria has become More Disastrous Storm near Caribbean Islands

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Maria is becoming a major and more dangerous hurricane as it nears the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. The U.S National Hurricane Center has indicated that category 1 hurricane will rapidly strengthen over the next 48 hours and it will hit the islands late on Monday 18^th September 2017. It is moving roughly along the same path as Irma, the hurricane that destructed the region in the current month. Hurricane warnings have been issued for Dominica, Guadeloupe, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and Martinique. A hurricane watch is now in effect for the U.S and British Virgin Islands, St Martin, St Barts, Saba, St Eustatius and Anguilla. Some of these islands are still recovering after being hit by Irma with the category 5 Hurricane which caused at least 37 people dead and damages of worth billions of U.S dollars.

The NHC has indicated on Monday about the latest update that Maria has maximum sustained winds of 137 km/h (85mph). The eye of the storm is 140 miles north-east of Barbados, and Maria is moving west-northwest at about 13mph. NHC further indicated that the centre of Maria will move across the Leeward Islands late Monday and Monday night and then over the extreme North-Eastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday and Tuesday night. The most southerly point of the Leeward Islands and the Hurricane Maria will make its initial strike, including Antigua and Barbuda. The latter island was evacuated after being devastated by Irma. A dangerous storm surge accompanied by large and destructive waves will raise water levels by as much as 1.5-2.1m (5-7ft) above normal tide levels near where the centre of Maria moves across the Leeward Islands.