newly off the back of the devastatingHurricane Harvey , the US is preparing for an even more dangerous storm – Hurricane Irma .
With winding speeds of 300 kilometers per hour ( 185 miles per hour ) , Irma now place as themost knock-down hurricanein the Atlantic Ocean . It is the second most brawny in the Atlantic basin , which includes the Atlantic Ocean , Caribbean Sea , and the Gulf of Mexico , behind Hurricane Allen in 1980 that hit the latter two with wind of 305 km / h ( 190 mph ) .
The storm has already made landfall on several island including Barbuda , where people were told to seek pressing condom . “ May God protect us all , ” a statement from official theresaid .
Thecategory 5 hurricaneis bear to make landfall in Florida over the weekend , where topical anaesthetic have already been told to evacuate . It will persist at least a category 4 storm over the next few days , but the danger it pose can not be overstated .
“ The Mary Leontyne Price you may give for not evacuating is your lifespan or serious forcible harm , ” Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said , according to theAssociated Press . The storm is expected to come to Puerto Rico later today , followed by the Dominican Republic , Haiti , and Cuba over the next few days , before strike Florida as betimes as Saturday .
Although its passing play through Florida is not certain , most of the state is expected to have hurricane - effect winds , vivid rain , and storm surges . Irma may also reach the states of Georgia , South Carolina , and North Carolina .
If Irma does hit Florida as a family 4 or higher , this will be the first time two such powerful storm have hit the US in the same time of year after Hurricane Harvey .
As the oceans warm due to climate modification , they provide more fuel for hurricanes , which are intensified by warm water . Irma is presently over water that is 1 ° C ( 1.8 ° F ) warmer than normal .
Another violent storm behind Irma , Tropical Storm Jose , is require to get into a class 2 hurricane in the come days . It ’s not bear to make landfall in the US , but it may sweep the north - eastern Caribbean islands .
Irma is expect to shed about 45 centimeters ( 18 inches ) of rain over some domain , and make wave as high as 3.3 meter ( 11 metrical foot ) . Some neighborhood , including the southeast Bahamas , could even see waves of up to 6 m ( 20 feet ) .
Residents of Puerto Rico may be without electricity for month after the tempest . President Trump hasdeclared an emergencythere , which has not seen such a powerful violent storm since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928 , along with the US Virgin Islands and Florida .
“ The decision that we make in the next couple of hours can make the difference of opinion between life and death,”saidPuerto Rico regulator Ricardo Rossello . “ This is an exceedingly dangerous storm . ”
