Hurricane Irma path update: Will Irma HIT the USA? Where is the tropical storm heading?



AS HURRICANE HARVEY moves over the USA, the another hurricane called Irma is getting stronger over the Atlantic. But could Irma hit America?




Hurricane Irma has strengthened into a powerful Category 3 storm, with winds of up to 115mph, about 1,725 miles from the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean.   

The NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts that a Irma will become am "extremely dangerous" Category 4 as it approachs the Leeward Islands next week.

On Saturday, September 2, Irma continued to fluctuate in strength but remains a powerful hurricane, according to an advisory from the National Hurricane Centre.

After that point, it is very difficult to predict where the storm will head because there are vast differences in the long-term weather forecasts. 

In some models, Irma will go back out to sea. Others show it could either hit the northern Leeward Islands or bypass them and curve towards the USA.

Irma is five days away from the outermost Caribbean islands and at least a week away from striking the any US.

The storm could be a threat to the U.S. the week after Labor Day.

It has sparked widespread concern particularly among residents on the East Coast and Gulf Coast after the catastrophic flooding and storm surges from Hurricane Harvey.

Irma has fluctuated in strength in the last 36 hours, a process forecasters expect to continue "for about another day while Irma remains over marginally warm waters and in fairly close proximity to dry air." 



Meteorological scientist Dr Michael Ventricle, at the University of Albany, said on his Twitter page: “It’s too early to know where Irma is headed. This storm could still sneak out to sea.

One analysis of the hurricane’s projected path by Weatherbell Analytics varied from heading towards central Mexico to Irma almost doubling back on itself and heading back out northwards into the Atlantic.

Most predictions though have Irma hitting southern Florida and then heading along the eastern coast of the US and Canada, possibly hitting New York and Washington.

Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean said: "The models are trending towards perhaps curving away from the US,” but added Irma was coming "a little too close to comfort for the East Coast."

So far no coastal watches or warnings were in effect but it was too early to determine if it would make landfall or pose a threat to the US.

Dr Ventrice has noticed a “slight” alteration in the movement of Irma, apparently moving away from the Gulf of Mexico and moving more towards the east coast.

But he added: “Things can still change.”

He also added that it appeared the hurricane was increasing in intensity again, indicating the eye of the hurricane was expanding “with a ring of low brightness temperatures around it”.

In a span of 12 hours on Thursday, Irma rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a 115-mph, Category 3 hurricane. In doing so, it became the season’s fourth hurricane and second major — Category 3 or stronger — hurricane.