As we reported a few days ago, Hurricane Irma is tearing across the Atlantic Ocean.

A few days ago, it was a category 3 storm with windspeeds of about 115 miles per hour.  That was when Hurricane Irma was here, according to a satellite image.

(Image credit: Yahoo)

Now it is a category 4, the same classification of Hurricane Harvey when it hit Texas. It is expected to hit the Leeward Islands east of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on late Tuesday or Wednesday.

(Image credit: Wiki)

Some predict it will reach a category 5 level storm, and beyond that (because there isn’t a category 6 classification).

In addition, hurricane warnings have been issued on the islands of Barbuda, Anguilla, Antigua, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Barthelemy, Sint Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba. The warning indicates that hurricane impact is expected in the next 36 hours.

According to Yahoo:

Hurricane watches – meaning hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours – have been issued for some of the more populous parts of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico; as well as Guadeloupe and the US and British Virgin Islands.

Irma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches across the Leeward Islands, with isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches across the northern Leeward Islands. These rainfall amounts may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides,” the NHC said.

Haiti, which has been devastated by natural disaster after natural disaster the past several years, has its authorities issuing an early storm alert. They said the storm could hit them for 3 days, potentially causing flooding and landslides.

However, the science of hurricane prediction is not completely accurate. It seems inevitable that the hurricane would strike the Leeward Islands and nearby areas because of where it is now, but where the hurricane will go after that, is unknown.

According to some forecasts, it could stay in the area of the Bahamas and strike Haiti, or Cuba. Some believe it could hit Florida after that, and some believe it will end up in North Carolina on the East Coast of the US.

The Red Cross in North Carolina limited its volunteers sent to Texas post-Hurricane Harvey, to focus on the possibility of Irma striking NC.

Florida and Puerto Rico are now in a state of emergency to prepare for the storm.

Whatever happens, the storm is headed for the Leeward Islands at this moment, due to strike within about 48 hours. Within the next week, it will become more apparent where it is headed next.

UPDATE:

? BREAKING: Hurricane Irma now powerful Category 5 storm, Florida declares state of emergency ? pic.twitter.com/qQ0kq249bC

— KOKE REPORT (@KokeReport) September 5, 2017