Hurricane Irma Closes in on Florida, Regains Category 5 Strength

After news broke Friday morning that Hurricane Irma had been downgraded to a Category 4, a statement from the National Hurricane Center shortly before midnight reports the storm has strengthened back into a Category 5.

As the Florida-bound Irma makes landfall in Cuba, ABC News reports that Irma as of 11 p.m. EST is roughly 300 miles from Miami and moving about 13 mph toward the west.

Meteorologists expect Irma to hit the Florida Keys as a Category 5 as it makes landfall between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. EST on Sunday. The NHC states the overnight outlook of Irma’s path show less of a threat to the Carolinas as the monstrous storm is expected to move straight up the middle of Florida and curve inland.

The hurricane slammed Caribbean islands including the Turks and Caicos, and the southeastern Bahamas on Thursday. At least 19 people have died due to the storm so far.

Irma will hit Cuba first with projected winds of 160 mph, setting its sights on the Camaguey Archipelago. It will be the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in Cuba since 1924.

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