Hurricane Jose strengthened to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm Friday, with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm sits east of the Leeward Islands and is forecast to move west-northwest into the Atlantic Ocean over the coming days.
A hurricane watch is in effect for Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barts – all of which were just battered by Hurricane Irma.
The eye of Irma passed over Barbuda, a tiny Caribbean island of about 1,800 residents, on Wednesday, destroying telecommunication systems and cell towers. The storm damaged about 95 percent of the buildings on the island, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.
Fluctuations in Hurricane Jose’s intensity are possible for the next day or so, the National Hurricane Center said, and the storm is expected to gradually weaken after that.
