At 3:00pm this afternoon, September 8, the Institute of Meteorology (Ismet) Forecast Center reported that as Hurricane Irma moves across the sea north of the country's eastern provinces, tropical storm force winds between 60 and 85 km/h have been experienced along the coast from Gibara to Baracoa, as well as waves between four and seven meters high. The Nuevitas weather station, in the province of Camagüey, reported sustained winds of 40 to 50 km/h, with a gust from the northeast of 100 km/h. Guaro, Holguín reported gusts of 110 km/h, and Palenque de Yateras, in Guantánamo, 80 km/h from the west.
Irma's feeder bans are bringing heavy rain to the eastern region. Over the last several hours, through 2:00 pm, the weather station in Pinares de Mayarí, Holguín, recorded 86 mm of precipitation; Palenque de Yateras, Guantánamo 71 mm; and Velazco, Holguín 62 mm.
The Ismet report indicated that at 3:00pm, the storm's eye was located some 115 kilometers northeast of Puerto Padre, Las Tunas; 155 kilometers east-northeast of Nuevitas, Camagüey; and 265 kilometers east-southeast of Cayo Coco, Ciego de Ávila, with sustained maximum winds of 250 km/h.
Irma's path has turned more to the west and is moving at a rate of 22 km/h.
If the hurricane maintains this westerly direction, and approaches the island's central northern coast, winds will increase to a sustained tropical storm strength of 75 to 90 km/h, which will reach hurricane force along the coast from Camagüey to Villa Clara, on the order of 160 to 190 km/h, with stronger gusts.
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