CBS Local — According to the National Hurricane Center Hurricane Jose has officially been upgraded to a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of over 150 miles per hour.

Currently Jose is just east of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean sea, but is poised to come dangerously close to, or hit, the islands of Antigua, Barbuda, St. Martin, and St. Barthelemy, of which received the brunt of Category 5 storm Hurricane Irma earlier this week.

Barbuda, an island of just 1,800 people, sustained damage to 95 percent of its buildings and is largely without power and cell service.

For Barbuda and the other islands in Jose’s path, the one-two punch of Irma and Jose could prove catastrophic if Jose’s path doesn’t change.

Currently, Jose is on track to venture out to sea to the east of the Bahamas, avoiding the United States entirely.

According to multiple reports, this is the first time in history there have been two hurricanes with sustained winds of over 150 miles per hour at the same time in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Katia, which is currently churning in the Gulf Of Mexico, has strengthened to a Category 2 storm, and is expected to make landfall in Mexico in the state of Veracruz.

Irma, is expected to make landfall in South Florida late Saturday night or early Sunday morning as a Category 4 storm.

Large swaths of South Florida have been given orders to evacuate, including all of the Florida Keys and many parts of Miami with a 10-plus foot storm surge and 150-plus mile per hour winds expected to wreak havoc on the state. </s> Hurricane Jose is now an extremely dangerous category 4, packing winds of up to 240 kilometres-per-hour.

That’s according to the latest update this morning from the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

Jose is now 670 kilometers east of the Leeward Islands. It’s forecast to move west-northwest into the Atlantic Ocean in the coming days.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Saint Martin and St. Barthelemy – many of the islands affected by Hurricane Irma.

According to the CNN, this is the first time on record that the Atlantic has had two hurricanes with 240 kilometre-per-hour winds or higher, at the same time.

Hurricane Irma is currently to the east of Cuba moving west-northwest. It has maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometres-per-hour.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Katia continues to strengthen over in the Gulf of Mexico.

It remains a Category Two Hurricane, with winds of up to 155 kilometers per hour.

Katia is expected to make landfall between Cabo Roja and Laguna Verde, Mexico, early Saturday. </s> MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Maria has intensified into a dangerous Category 4 storm as it bears down on the Caribbean.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Monday the storm is growing in strength as it approaches land. The eye of the storm is expected to pass near the island of Dominica on Monday evening.

The center called the storm “extremely dangerous,” with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph).

At 5 p.m. EDT, the storm was centered about 45 miles (70 kilometers) east-southeast of Dominica.

A Hurricane warning has been issued for Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook </s> Hurricane Jose strengthened to a Category Three storm Thursday, as it followed in the path of monster Hurricane Irma, US weather forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm, located east of the Lesser Antilles, was packing winds of 120 miles per hour (195 kilometers per hour), as it moved northwest at nearly 18 miles per hour (30 kilometers per hour).

"Some additional strengthening is possible during the next 24 to 36 hours," the NHC said.

Hurricane Irma -- at Category Five, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale -- battered a string of Caribbean islands on Wednesday and appears to be on a collision course with southern Florida.

Besides hurricanes Jose and Irma there is another Atlantic hurricane, Katia -- a Category One storm -- in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

According to meteorologists the last time there were three active hurricanes in the Atlantic at the same time was September 2010. DM </s> The Caribbean is preparing for an “extremely dangerous” major hurricane less than two weeks after Irma struck the region, devastating entire islands, flattening homes and buildings, and killing more than 30 people.

The National Hurricane Center on Monday night upgraded Hurricane Maria to a Category 4 storm packing 130-mile-per-hour winds with stronger gusts. “Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 24 to 36 hours, and Maria is expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane during the next couple of days,” the center said in its latest advisory.

The eye of the hurricane is expected to reach the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico Monday night, according to the latest forecasts. The Leeward Islands include the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, the two-island state of Antigua and Barbuda, the British territory of Anguilla, and other islands. Many are still assessing the damage of Hurricane Irma, which hit as a Category 5 earlier this month.

Storm advisories are in effect around the region. Hurricane Maria will bring storm surge “accompanied by large and destructive waves” that will raise water levels by as much as six feet to nine feet. The storm is expected to drop six inches to 12 inches of rain in the central and southern Leeward Islands with some spots getting as much as 20 inches. Between two and four inches are expected in the rest of the islands, including Barbuda and Anguilla, according to the National Hurricane Center. “Rainfall on all of these islands could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides,” the center said. </s> A state of emergency has been declared in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida as Hurricane Irma heads for the region as a Category 5 storm that is expected to strengthen further before making landfall in the Caribbean later Tuesday.

The storm was upgraded to Category 5 from Category 4 in a National Hurricane Center advisory, putting it at the highest level of the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Irma now has maximum sustained winds of 185 miles an hour, making it an extremely dangerous and potentially catastrophic storm, the NHC warned. It’s the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic basin outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in NHC records, it said.

AccuWeather said the storm ties as second strongest in the entire Atlantic basin, with only Hurricane Allen, which struck in 1980, showing stronger winds of 190 miles an hour.

“Some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Irma is forecast to remain a powerful Category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days,” said the NHC advisory.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Vieques and Culebra, according to the advisory.

Computer models show the system eventually heading near the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba on Friday into Saturday, and possibly turning north toward Florida by the weekend.

“The chance of direct impacts from Irma later this week and this weekend is increasing in the Florida Keys and portions of the Florida Peninsula,” said the NHC. “However, it is too soon to specify the timing and magnitude of the impacts.”

Read also: Evacuation order lifted near Arkema plant in Texas

Also: How to help Harvey victims with bitcoin and diapers

“Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area by tonight, with tropical storm conditions beginning later today,” said the advisory.

Irma is expected to dump 8 to 12 inches of rain with up to 18 inches in some areas of the northern Leeward Islands. It is now expected to pour 4 to 10 inches across northeast Puerto Rico, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. Rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

In addition, the center is tracking Tropical Storm Jose forming in the open Atlantic behind Irma. Jose is the 10th named storm of the season.

Schools were closed across the region and flights were canceled, according to the Associated Press. People were stocking up on last-minute supplies and boarding up homes ahead of the storm, said the AP. There were 907 flights cancelled in the U.S. on Tuesday, with another 4,478 flights delayed, according to tracker FlightAware.

“In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared,” he said in a statement.

Irma comes just days after hurricane Harvey battered Texas and Louisiana, causing damages that are estimated by AccuWeather to be up to $190 billion, which if realized, would make it the costliest-ever U.S. natural disaster.

With flood water now subsiding, many residents of Houston, which took the brunt of Harvey’s rain and wind, are leaving shelters and heading home to face a variety of obstacles, including toxic pollutants in the air and water, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The authorities have lifted an evacuation order at the site of the Arkema Inc. chemical plant that was hit by explosions last week as unstable chemicals ignited after power failure shut down refrigeration systems. </s> While Hurricane Irma tracks towards Florida and Hurricane Jose's path edges closer to the Caribbean, a new storm is brewing in the Gulf of Mexico today: Hurricane Katia.

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Category 1 storm is expected to make landfall with Mexico's east coast Friday night or Saturday morning, moving west towards Veracruz and later to Mexico City—and away from the Yucatan Peninsula.

Currently, Katia's winds are as high as 75 miles per hour, but are forecasted to reach as high as 110 miles per hour as the storm intensifies. Category 5 Irma's winds have reached 185 miles per hour, making it a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest storm on the Saffir–Simpson scale.

But Wind isn't so much the worry with Katia—it's the water that could be deadly. Total rainfall accumulations between five and 10 inches are forecast for northern Veracruz, with a possible 15-inch deluge causing flash-floods and mudslides, says NOAA .

Meanwhile, Category 1 storm Jose, which was upgraded from its tropical storm status today, has also seen top-speed winds of 75 miles per hour. But its path is not yet clear, says NOAA. The storm could yet turn northeast out into the Atlantic, or it could intensify as the week goes on. </s> SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Tropical Storm Otto killed at least nine people in Costa Rica and then headed into the Pacific Ocean Friday after making landfall as the southernmost hurricane on record to hit Central America.

Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis announced that nine people had been killed in the area of Bagaces and Upala, a town south of the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border. Earlier, he said at least six people were missing in the nearby town of Bijagua.

Solis said as much water fell on the area in a few hours as normally falls in a month, and said some people had been trapped by rising waters.

The United States sent airplanes and neighboring Panama sent planes and helicopters to aid in the search and rescue efforts in the area, where rain-swollen rivers overflowed their banks.

Otto made landfall on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast on Thursday as a dangerous Category 2 storm but it faded to tropical storm force before emerging over the eastern Pacific early Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said that by Friday morning, the storm was centered about 245 miles south-southeast of San Salvador, and had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. It was moving toward the west at 16 mph. It was projected to keep moving westward away from Central America, further into Pacific. </s> (SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — Hurricane Maria grew into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm Monday as it barreled toward a potentially devastating collision with islands in the eastern Caribbean, and forecasters warned it was likely to become even stronger.

The storm's eye was expected to pass near Dominica later in the day on a path that would take it near many of the islands already wrecked by Hurricane Irma and then on toward a possible direct strike on Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

"This storm promises to be catastrophic for our island," said Ernesto Morales with the U.S. National Weather Service in San Juan. "All of Puerto Rico will experience hurricane force winds."

The U.S. territory imposed rationing of basic supplies including water, milk, baby formula, canned food, batteries and flashlights.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Maria had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) in late afternoon. It was centered about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northeast of Martinique and 45 miles (70 kilometers) east-southeast of Dominica, and was heading west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).

The center said Maria would likely continue to gain strength for the next 24 hours or longer and could reach Category 5 status.

Hurricane warnings were posted for the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat and Martinique. A tropical storm warning was issued for Antigua and Barbuda, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, St. Lucia and Anguilla.

Forecasters said storm surge could raise water levels by 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters) near the storm's center. The storm was predicted to bring 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of rain across the islands, with more in isolated areas.

Officials in Dominica closed schools and government offices and urged people to evacuate and seek shelters.

"We should treat the approaching hurricane very, very seriously," Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said. "This much water in Dominica is dangerous."

The small, mountainous island could be in trouble even if spared the storm's strongest winds. In August 2015, Tropical Storm Erika unleashed flooding and landslides that killed 31 people and destroyed more than 370 homes.

Officials in Guadeloupe said the French island would experience extremely heavy flooding starting in the afternoon and warned that many communities could be submerged overnight.

In nearby Martinique, authorities ordered people to remain indoors and said they should be prepared for power cuts and disruption in the water supply. All schools and non-essential public services were closed.

The storm's hurricane-force winds extended out about 25 miles (35 kilometers) from the eye, and tropical storm-force winds out as far as 125 miles (205 kilometers).

The current forecast track would carry it about 22 miles (35 kilometers) south of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands late Tuesday and early Wednesday, according to territorial Gov. Kenneth Mapp.

"We are going to have a very, very long night," Mapp said as he urged people in the territory to finish any preparations.

St. Thomas and St. John are still recovering from a direct hit by Hurricane Irma, which did extensive damage and caused four deaths on the two islands.

Officials and islanders were also bracing in Puerto Rico, which did not take a direct hit from Irma but still saw blackouts across much of the territory. Nearly 70,000 people remain without power, and Gov. Ricardo Rossello warned that more widespread outages are likely with Maria.

Forecasters said the storm would dump up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain across Puerto Rico and whip the U.S. territory with heavy winds for 12 to 24 hours.

Officials said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was ready to bring drinking water and help restore power in Puerto Rico immediately after the storm.

Traffic was heavy Monday as people rushed to buy last-minute items. Among them was 70-year-old retiree Rafael Rivera, who clutched a small bag of dog treats for his dog and six puppies at home.

"This storm is coming with some bad intentions," he said at a San Juan store where some shoppers grumbled about empty shelves.

Rossello said Puerto Rico had prepared about 450 shelters capable of taking in up to 125,000 people in a worst-case scenario. Nearly 200 people are still in shelters due to Hurricane Irma. Classes were cancelled and government employees were to work only a half-day.

Farther north, long-lived Hurricane Jose continued to head northward well away from the U.S. East Coast but causing dangerous surf and rip currents. It was not expected to make landfall, but a tropical storm warning was in effect for coastal areas in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Tropical storm watches were posted for parts of New York's Long Island and Connecticut.

Jose was centered about 250 miles (405 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and was moving north at 10 mph (17 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).

Seawater washed over parts of North Carolina's Outer Banks as Jose passed, and five people were knocked off a coastal jetty in Rhode Island by high surf caused by the storm. Officials said rescuers had to fight through rough surf to load the injured onto stretchers and get them to shore. All five were hospitalized.

In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Norma's threat to Mexico's Los Cabos resort area at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula eased as forecasters said it was moving away from shore and expected to weaken.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lee weakened into a tropical depression far out in the Atlantic and Hurricane Otis became a tropical storm far out in the Pacific. Neither threatened land.
Hurricane Jose intensifies into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane as it nears the northern Leeward Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.