10 September, 2017
In a separate composite image released by NASA on Friday, you can see hurricanes Jose, Irma and and what was Katia in the Atlantic. Hurricane Irma is moving this way and will make landfall in southwest Florida Sunday morning.
Irma was moving toward the west-northwest near 14 miles per hour (22 kph), and this motion is expected to continue for the next day or so with a decrease in forward speed. A turn toward the northwest with a decrease in forward speed is forecast tonight through the weekend.
Meantime, the Florida Keys braces as hurricane force winds are expected at daybreak. Hurricane warnings suggest rainfall from Katia could result in "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of mountainous terrain", the National Hurricane Center said.
But the National Hurricane Center isn't considering expansion of the scale right now, because of Irma or otherwise. Irma is forecast to restrengthen once it moves away from Cuba, and Irma is expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it approaches Florida.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles (20 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km).
RAINFALL: Jose is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches in the Leeward Islands from Guadeloupe to Anguilla, with isolated maximum amounts of 8 inches. The storm is likely to regain strength before making landfall in Florida, forecasters say.
Maximum sustained winds are near 80 miles per hour (130 kph) with higher gusts. "As we get into Monday night and into Tuesday morning we will be seeing rain from a feeder band ... we will have a period of moderate to heavy rain Monday night or Tuesday morning". Some fluctuations in intensity are possible for the next day or so, and gradual weakening is expected after that.
Beasley said the winds in the Bluefield area could reach 35 mph gusts on top of East River Mountain but for most people those gusts would be about 25 mph with sustained winds at 14 to 16 mph.