<P> Irma developed on August 30 , 2017 near the Cape Verde Islands , from a tropical wave that had moved off the west African coast three days prior . Under favorable conditions , Irma rapidly intensified shortly after formation , becoming a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir -- Simpson scale within a mere 24 hours . Irma became a Category 3 hurricane ( and therefore a major hurricane ) shortly afterward ; however , the intensity fluctuated between Categories 2 and 3 for the next several days due to a series of eyewall replacement cycles . On September 4 , Irma resumed intensifying , becoming a Category 5 hurricane by early the next day . On September 6 , Irma reached its peak intensity , with 185 mph ( 295 km / h ) winds and a minimum pressure of 914 hPa ( 27.0 inHg ) , making it the second most intense tropical cyclone worldwide so far in 2017 , behind only Hurricane Maria , and the strongest worldwide in 2017 in terms of wind speed . Another eyewall replacement cycle caused Irma to weaken back to a Category 4 hurricane , but the storm attained Category 5 status for a second time , before making landfall in Cuba . After dropping to Category 3 intensity due to land interaction , the storm re-intensified to Category 4 status as it crossed warm waters between Cuba and Florida , before making landfall on Cudjoe Key with maximum sustained winds at 130 mph ( 215 km / h ) . Irma dropped back to Category 3 by the time it made a second Florida landfall on Marco Island . Irma weakened to a Category 2 hurricane later that day , the first time it weakened below major hurricane status in over a week , and eventually dissipated off the coast of New England on September 16 . </P>
<P> Irma developed on August 30 , 2017 near the Cape Verde Islands , from a tropical wave that had moved off the west African coast three days prior . Under favorable conditions , Irma rapidly intensified shortly after formation , becoming a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir -- Simpson scale within a mere 24 hours . Irma became a Category 3 hurricane ( and therefore a major hurricane ) shortly afterward ; however , the intensity fluctuated between Categories 2 and 3 for the next several days due to a series of eyewall replacement cycles . On September 4 , Irma resumed intensifying , becoming a Category 5 hurricane by early the next day . On September 6 , Irma reached its peak intensity , with 185 mph ( 295 km / h ) winds and a minimum pressure of 914 hPa ( 27.0 inHg ) , making it the second most intense tropical cyclone worldwide so far in 2017 , behind only Hurricane Maria , and the strongest worldwide in 2017 in terms of wind speed . Another eyewall replacement cycle caused Irma to weaken back to a Category 4 hurricane , but the storm attained Category 5 status for a second time , before making landfall in Cuba . After dropping to Category 3 intensity due to land interaction , the storm re-intensified to Category 4 status as it crossed warm waters between Cuba and Florida , before making landfall on Cudjoe Key with maximum sustained winds at 130 mph ( 215 km / h ) . Irma dropped back to Category 3 by the time it made a second Florida landfall on Marco Island . Irma weakened to a Category 2 hurricane later that day , the first time it weakened below major hurricane status in over a week , and eventually dissipated off the coast of New England on September 16 . </P>
where did hurricane irma hit in the us
where did hurricane irma hit in the us
Cudjoe Key Marco Island
Cudjoe Key Marco Island