Hurricane Jose has grown in strength and reached Category 4 status—the second highest—as it swipes through the Atlantic Ocean.
Its wind speed increased to 150 mph, and it’s still heading west, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in its most recent update on Friday morning (11 a.m. ET, Sept. 8).
It’s moving west-northwest at 18 mph. It’s about 415 miles (670 kilometers) east-southeast of the northern Leeward Islands.
Forecasts as of 11 a.m. EST show that Jose won’t follow the path of Hurricane Irma, which killed at least 12 as it plowed across a string of Caribbean islands.
Still, it prompted hurricane watches on multiple islands in the region Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Maarten, St. Martin, and St. Barthelemy. These islands were crushed by Hurricane Irma this week. A hurricane watch means that hurricane force-winds will hit the affected areas within 48 hours.
Irma, which weakened to category 4, is now expected to sideswipe Cuba and will head toward Florida, hitting on Saturday morning.
