TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Hurricane Maria intensified into a major hurricane on Monday. The storm intensified to a Category 5 storm with 160 mph winds as of the 8 p.m. update by the National Hurricane Center.The eye wall of the hurricane made landfall on Dominica around 9:15 p.m. Monday. As of 11 p.m., the storm is moving over Dominica.“The current track keeps it as a major hurricane over the next several days, through the end of the week,” said Storm Team 8 Meteorologist Julie Phillips. “It’s already moving to the northwest as we head towards the end of the week. It will head north, northwest, and that cone is keeping it east of Florida.”

As of 11 p.m. Monday, Hurricane Maria is moving west-northwest at 9 mph. Maria is about 270 miles southeast of St. Croix.

“The small eye is a sign of rapid intensification,” said Storm Team 8 Chief Meteorologist Steve Jerve. “There could be potentially 150 mph winds over Puerto Rico.”

“The European model came in a little earlier, a little farther east. So, the Hurricane Center has cheated that path a little bit east of Florida, which would be good news for us, but obviously folks in the Caribbean will be watching this closely,” said Steve.

A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands.

A Hurricane Warning has also been issued for Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques.

The storm is on a path that would take it near many of the islands wrecked by Hurricane Irma and on toward Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

The hurricane center said hurricane conditions should begin to affect parts of the Leeward Islands by Monday night, with storm surge raising water levels by 4 to 6 feet near the storm’s center. The storm was predicted to bring 6 to 12 inches of rain across the islands, with more in isolated areas.

Maria could make a direct hit on Puerto Rico, which was spared the full brunt of Irma although much of the island had its power knocked out. Gov. Ricardo Rossello said officials had prepared about 450 shelters with a capacity for nearly 68,000 people – or even 125,000 in an emergency. He said schools were cancelled for Monday and government employees would work only a half day.

Officials in the Dominican Republic urged people to leave areas prone to flooding and said fishermen should remain in port.

Here are the other watches and warnings in effect for Hurricane Maria:A Hurricane Warning is in effect for-

  • Guadeloupe
  • Dominica
  • St. Kitts, Nevis, and Montserrat
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Puerto Rico, Culbera and Vieques

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for-

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Saba and St. Eustatius
  • St. Maarten
  • Anguilla
  • St. Lucia
  • Martinique

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for-

  • Saba and St. Eustatius
  • St. Maarten
  • St. Martin and St. Barthelemy
  • Anguilla
  • Isla Saona to Puerto Plata

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for-

  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • West of Puerto Plata to the northern Dominican Republic-Haiti border

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