WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Hurricane Irma has passed directly over the Caribbean Island of St. Martin, and is expected to arrive in Puerto Rico on Wednesday afternoon or evening, the US National Hurricane Center said in its advisory.
"Eye of potentially catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane Irma passes over St. Martin," the Wednesday advisory stated. "Irma will move over portions of the northern Virgin Islands today, pass near or just north of Puerto Rico this afternoon or tonight, and pass near or just north of the coast of the Dominican Republic Thursday."
According to media reports, the entire island of St. Martin has been without electricity since 6:00 a.m. (10:00am GMT), and government offices have been partly destroyed.
"The Department of State warns US citizens to carefully reconsider travel to Cuba due to Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm that is projected to impact Cuba," the advisory stated.
By the way, oceangoing vessels and barges over 500 tons have been ordered out of the Port of Key West in the US state of Florida 24 hours before the onset of gale force winds from the approaching Hurricane Irma, the Coast Guard announced in a news release on Wednesday.
"All mariners are reminded that there are no safe havens in the Port of Key West area and that the port is safest when the inventory of vessels is at a minimum," the release stated.
Hurricane Irma is already the strongest hurricane ever recorded outside the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and it is likely to make landfall somewhere in Florida later this week, according to forecasts. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared states of emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
