PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Hurricane Maria strengthened into a Category 5 storm Monday night as it bears down on the Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Maria was moving west-northwest at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.
As of 8 p.m., the storm was located about 15 miles east southeast of Dominica.
Local 10 News chief certified meteorologist Betty Davis said the storm was "rapidly intensifying."
Forecasters are calling for Maria to make landfall in Puerto Rico sometime Wednesday.
Many computer models show Maria taking a turn to the north after hitting Puerto Rico. Davis said the storm is expected to weaken to a Category 3 Saturday morning as it nears the southeast Bahamas.
Local 10 News hurricane specialist Max Mayfield said Maria will likely remain offshore from Florida, but it's something South Florida will need to watch in the coming days.
"Anytime we have a major hurricane heading in our general direction, we need to keep an eye on it," he said.
Download the Local 10 Hurricane Survival Guide and the Max Tracker mobile app for iOS and ANDROID.
