At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Irma was located near latitude 25.0 North, longitude 81.5 West. Irma is moving toward the north near 9 mph (15 km/h, and a north-northwestward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected later today, with that motion continuing through Monday. On the forecast track, the eye of Irma should move over the Lower Florida Keys shortly, and then move near or over the west coast of the Florida Peninsula later today through tonight. Irma should then move inland over northern Florida and southwestern Georgia Monday afternoon.
Maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts. Irma is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. While weakening is forecast, Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane while it moves near or along the west coast of Florida.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 220 miles (350 km). A 120 mph (193 km/h) gust was recently reported at the National Key Deer Refuge in Big Pine Key. A sustained wind of 62 mph (100 km/h) with a gust of 94 mph (151 km/h) was reported at the Federal Aviation Administration station at Miami International Airport. A pressure of 940 mb (27.75 inches) was measured in the calm of the eye on Upper Sugarloaf Key.
The minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft is 933 mb (27.55 inches).
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