Hurricane Maria strengthened into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane at the top of the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale as it swept across the Caribbean on Monday night, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, according to Reuters.
Hurricane Maria was about 15 miles (25 km) east-southeast of Dominica, with maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour (260 km per hour), the NHC said in its latest advisory.
“Some additional strengthening is possible tonight, but some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two,” the Miami-based weather forecaster said.
Earlier U.S. President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, ABC News reported.
