LIVE SCIENCE HURRICANE IRMA

LIVE SCIENCE HURRICANE IRMA
https://www.livescience.com/60320-hurricane-irma-news.html?utm_source=notification

This notated image from the NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP satellite shows cloud-top temperatures inside Hurricane Irma, and other features of the storm. (The scale is in degrees minus Celsius, so the temperatures get warmer toward the center of the storm.) The image was captured on Sept. 4 at 12:32 a.m. EDT (0432 GMT), while the storm was still a Category 3 hurricane.
Credit: NOAA/NASA
Hurricane Irma, a "potentially catastrophic" Category 5 storm churning in the Atlantic, is gathering steam as it makes its way toward the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico and parts of Florida. And this monster storm could pack a punch; Hurricane Irma's maximum sustained winds have been recorded at a mind-boggling 185 miles per hour (296 km/h).

To help you stay on top of the storm's development, Live Science has compiled everything you need to know, from tips on hurricane preparedness to Irma's latest forecasts to the science behind nature's biggest hurricanes.

Hurricane Irma Photos: Images of the Monster Storm

Here's How You Can Track Hurricane Irma Online

Live updates

As of 5 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Sept. 6:

The eye of Hurricane Irma, still a Category 5 storm with winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), is now moving away from the northernmost Virgin Islands. The storm is located about 40 miles (60 km) northwest of St. Thomas and about 55 miles (85 km) east-northeast of San Juan Puerto Rico. Already, tropical storm and hurricane conditions are being experienced by Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The NHC forecasts the extremely dangerous core of Irma will pass north of Puerto Rico tonight, before passing near or just north of the coast of Hispaniola Thursday (Sept. 7). Then by Thursday evening, Irma is forecast to pass near the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas.

A hurricane warning is in effect for:

British and U.S. Virgin Islands
Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra
Dominican Republic from Cabo Engano to the northern border with
Haiti
Haiti from the northern border with the Dominican Republic to Le
Mole St. Nicholas
Southeastern Bahamas
Turks and Caicos Islands
Central Bahamas
As of 8 a.m. ET, Wednesday, Sept. 6:

The eye of Hurricane Irma is passing over St. Martin, with the powerful northern eyewall pounding Anguilla in the eastern Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The storm passed over the Caribbean Islands of Antigua and Barbuda at about 2 a.m. ET and is still packing maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), according to the NHC.

The storm is moving toward the west-northwest at nearly 16 mph (26 km/h). The "extremely dangerous core" of Irma is forecast to move over parts of the northern Virgin Islands today, before passing near or just north of Puerto Rico this afternoon or tonight and then near or just north of the coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday (Sept. 7), the NHC reported.

The Florida Keys is under a mandatory evacuation today. [Read more about Irma making landfall on the Caribbean Islands.]

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Where will Hurricane Irma make landfall?

Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Caribbean in the early morning hours of Sept. 6, and is moving west-northwest at around 16 mph (26 km/h). The storm's core passed over parts of the U.S. Virgin Islands late this afternoon, and is expected to pass just north of Puerto Rico tonight. The storm could also impact the Florida Keys and parts of the Florida peninsula, but more accurate forecasts in the coming days will determine where, if at all, the storm makes landfall in the continental United States. [Get the latest updates from the National Hurricane Center]

As a precaution, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló declared states of emergency in response to the coming storm.

Hurricane Irma Poses Serious Storm Surge Threat, But Path Remains 'Uncertain'
See Hurricane Irma's Massive Eye Engulf an Island
The U.S. Air Force's Hurricane Hunters are flying into the eye of Irma, coming out with amazing images and footage of the most powerful parts of the storm.

And Irma isn't alone. There are two other storms brewing in Irma's wake: Jose is churning in the Atlantic and Katia is gaining strength in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Both storms strengthened into hurricanes on Wednesday (Sept. 6), according to the National Hurricane Center.

How big is Hurricane Irma?

Irma was upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane early on Sept. 5, and quickly became the strongest hurricane on record to ever form in the Atlantic Ocean, not including the Caribbean basin or the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center. A Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale is defined as one that has maximum sustained winds of 157 mph (253 km/h) or higher. [Read more: Hurricane Irma Now a Category 5 Storm: What That Means]

The ferocious winds that Hurricane Irma is packing are expected to create serious storm surges along its path. However, the extent of threat from such storm surge depends on where the hurricane goes (a track that is still uncertain) and features of the coast and seafloor.

VIDEO
The Saffir-Simpson scale only goes up to Category 5, but technically, there is no limit to how strong a hurricane can get.

Why Category 5 Hurricanes Like Irma Are So Rare
How Hurricane Irma Became a Monster Storm
A History of Destruction: 8 Great Hurricanes
'Potentially Catastrophic' Hurricane Irma Approaches Caribbean in Satellite Views
How to prepare for a hurricane

Here are several ways you can prepare for a hurricane:

Start with a plan
https://www.livescience.com/3817-hurricane-preparation.html
Prepare your home
Buy emergency supplies, including a flashlight, extra batteries, a first aid kit, emergency food and water, sturdy shoes and essential medicines.
Read more about how to build an emergency preparedness kit.

What to expect from hurricane season 2017

Officially, the Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 and runs until Nov. 30. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, hurricane season begins May 15 and ends Nov. 30. On both coasts, these storms typically peak between August and October. The Climate Prediction Center predicted this year's hurricane season would be extra active, with a forecast of between 14 and 19 named storms, or those with sustained winds of at least 39 mph (62 km/h), and between two and five major hurricanes with sustained windspeeds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h).
Hurricane Season 2017 Guide
Expect a Wild Hurricane Season This Year
Original article on Live Science.