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Latest Update: STILL slowing down.. down to 7 mph

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK

At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Irma was located by
a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft and NWS Doppler radar near
latitude 23.3 North, longitude 80.8 West. Radar loops indicate
that Irma has temporarily slowed down, but the hurricane has been
moving toward the west-northwest near 7 mph (11 km/h) since earlier
today. A northwest motion is expected to begin tonight with a turn
toward the north-northwest on Sunday. On the forecast track, the
core of Irma will continue to move near the north coast of Cuba
during the next few hours, and should be near the Florida Keys
Sunday morning. The hurricane is expected to move along or near the
southwest coast of Florida Sunday afternoon.

A NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft has found that Irma’s intensity is
a little lower, and the maximum sustained winds are estimated to be
near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts. Irma is a category 3
hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Irma is
forecast to restrengthen once it moves away from Cuba and remain a
powerful hurricane as it approaches Florida.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from
the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195
miles (315 km). Marathon International Airport recently reported a
sustained wind of 48 mph (77 km/h) and a gust to 67 mph (108 km/h).

The minimum central pressure based on aircraft data is 932 mb