Parts of South Florida will likely be in the National Hurricane Center’s five-day forecast path. The official forecast takes the Category 3 storm just north of the islands of Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and Cuba through Friday. Beyond day five, reliable longer range forecast data suggests Hurricane Irma will make a sharp turn to the north near or over the peninsula of Florida. A credible forecast on when and where it makes that turn, along with how strong it will be is just not scientifically possible yet.
Emergency management officials and the National Hurricane Center have urged all Floridians who live in a hurricane prone area area, in particular those along both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of South Florida, to begin making plans that can be acted upon should full hurricane preparations be required later this week.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Workers in the northeast Caribbean cleared drains and pruned trees as authorities urged islanders to prepare for Hurricane Irma, a Category 3 storm that grew stronger Monday and was forecast to begin buffeting the region the following day.