Hurricane Irma maintains 185 mph winds; Hurricanes Jose, Katia strengthen

MIAMI — 11 p.m. update

Irma continues to keep the very powerful 185 mph sustained winds and its movement west-northwest at 16 mph.

Positioned just north of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, about 70 miles north-northwest, Irma will continue to travel over the warm waters which will help it keep its strength.

Irma’s track was also shifted a bit more east, still possibly making landfall in southern Florida, between Miami-Dade and Broward counties and then hugging the coast northward.

Hurricane force winds extend 50 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend 185 miles from center.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Katia has strengthened in the western Gulf of Mexico and now has sustained winds of 80 mph.

Katia is moving east-southeast at about 2 mph.

Hurricane Jose in the central Atlantic Ocean was also strengthening, with sustained winds measured at 75 mph.

9:30 p.m. update

Gov. Rick Scott has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a waiver to allow fuel to enter Florida more quickly as the state prepares for Hurricane Irma.

8 p.m. update

There were no significant changes to the track, winds, speed or pressure on the 8 p.m. advisory. Irma continues as a major hurricane category 5, with maximum sustained winds at 185 mph and moving west northwest at 16 mph.

Life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall hazards are expected in Puerto Rico Wednesday night, the northern coast of Hispaniola Thursday, and the Turks and Caicos and southeastern and central Bahamas Thursday and Friday.

The National Hurricane Center announced on Twitter that hurricane watches for the Florida Keys and peninsula as soon as Thursday.

5 p.m. update:

Hurricane Irma is about 50 miles north of Puerto Rico.

Irma's track has not changed much Wednesday, however intensity remains the same of 185 mph winds and it continues to move west-north-west at 16 mph.

Irma is 55 miles east-north-east of San Juan. The island will continue to experience high winds and the rain bands are expected the rest of the week over the Central Caribbean.

2 p.m. update:

Hurricane Irma remains a Category 5 storm with winds at 185 mph. Irma is passing the northern Virgin Islands and is 90 miles east of Puerto Rico.

A sustained wind of 106 mph, and a gust of 131 mph was measured at Buck Island, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Irma is expected to fluctuate in intensity during the next 48 hours, but still remain as a powerful major hurricane.

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Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 50 miles and tropical storm force winds extend up to 185 miles from center.

11 a.m. update:

Hurricane Irma's track has shifted eastward. The Category 5 storm continues to have maximum sustained winds of 185 mph as it churns through the Caribbean islands.

Channel 9 certified meteorologist Brian Shields said it will be another five to six days before the storm is the closest it will be to Central Florida. Forecasts of the storm's track will be fine-tuned by Thursday, he said.

See flooding and damage on the Caribbean island of St. Martin below:

"It is always best to be prepared, but fortunately, time is on our side," Shields said. "We will know much more over the next 24 hours and then let you know if you need to take further steps to keep you and your family safe."

Download the free WFTV weather app and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News at Noon for live updates on the storm's progression. Read more hurricane stories in the Eye on the Tropics section.

Previous story:

The most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history made its first landfall early Wednesday in the islands of the northeast Caribbean.

The National Weather Service said the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over Barbuda at about 1:47 a.m.

Residents said over local radio that phone lines went down as the eye passed.

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The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma was maintaining Category 5 strength with sustained winds near 185 mph and heading west-northwest on a path toward Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before possibly heading for Florida over the weekend.

Channel 9 certified meteorologist Brian Shields said that the hurricane track has shifted eastward as expected and that it will be another five to six days before the storm is the closest it will be to Central Florida.

"I can't stress this enough: There is a reason the cone is so wide five days from now -- uncertainty is high," Shields said. "I want you prepared -- better safe than sorry. With that said, it's deep-breath time."

Read: Stores stripped of water, long lines form at gas stations as Hurricane Irma looms

Read: Central Floridians worry as relatives brace for Hurricane Irma in Puerto Rico

Shields said it's still too early to tell how the storm will affect the region, but he said residents should continue to prepare for the storm.

"Have your hurricane kit and plan (ready)," he said. "We will know so much more over the next 24 hours."

French authorities have ordered inhabitants to remain confined to their homes and not go out under any circumstances in the French Caribbean islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy because of Hurricane Irma.

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Two other French Caribbean islands, Guadeloupe and Martinique, have been placed under a more moderate alert.

The Dutch Caribbean islands of Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba have also been affected by the dangerous storm.

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Read: What you need to have on-hand to be prepared for Hurricane Irma

The declarations authorize the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts in those places.

Officials in the Florida Keys said they expect to announce a mandatory evacuation for visitors starting Wednesday and for residents starting Thursday.

The Category 5 hurricane is expected to reach Florida by the weekend. On Wednesday morning, it was about 40 miles north of Antigua.

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People in South Florida raided store shelves, buying up water and other hurricane supplies. Long lines formed at gas stations and people pulled shutters out of storage and put up plywood to protect their homes and businesses.

As Hurricane Irma continues to roar across the Caribbean on a path toward Florida, a new tropical storm has formed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Katia formed early Wednesday off the coast of Mexico.

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The NHC said Katia's maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with some strengthening forecast over the next two days. But the hurricane center said Katia is expected to stay offshore through Friday morning.

The storm is centered about 105 miles east of Tampico, Mexico, and is moving east-southeast near 2 mph.

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Jose is the 15th named storm of a very busy Atlantic hurricane season. It has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.

It is expected to strengthen, but it will likely remain at sea, Shields said.

Download the free WFTV weather app and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for regular updates on the storm's progression. Read more hurricane stories in the Eye on the Tropics section.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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