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Tropical Storm Maria becomes Hurricane – headed for leeward Caribbean islands
Monday, September 18, 2017
(AFP) – Tropical Storm Maria became a hurricane Sunday as it headed toward the storm-staggered eastern Caribbean with 120 km/h (75 mph) winds, the US National Hurricane Center said.
Storm warnings and watches went up in many of the Caribbean island-nations still reeling from the destructive passage of Hurricane Irma earlier this month.
As of 5:00pm EDT, Maria was a Category One hurricane, the lowest on the 5-point Saffir-Simpson scale, located 225 kilometers (140 miles) northeast of Barbados, the NHC said.
“On the forecast track, the center of Maria will move across the Leeward Islands Monday night and then over the extreme northeastern Caribbean Sea on Tuesday,” it said.