Powerful Hurricane Emily churns toward Jamaica

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hurricane Emily increased to a
powerful Category 4 storm a it churned toward the central
Caribbean Sea and Jamaica with maximum sustained winds near 135
miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami
said Friday.

As of 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), Emily, which was moving
west-northwest at nearly 20 mph, was located about 385 miles
south-southeast of Port au Prince, Haiti, and about 580 miles
east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.

On its forecast track, the center of the storm should pass
just south of Jamaica on Saturday, cross the Yucatan Peninsula
in Mexico early Monday, and cross the southwest Gulf of Mexico
on Tuesday before making landfall near the Texas-Mexico border,
according to the NHC.

The center will issue an intermediate advisory at 8 a.m.

Position: Lat. 13.9 degrees North

Long. 69.2 degrees West

(385 miles south-southwest of Port au Prince,
Haiti)
Track: Moving west-northwest near 20 mph
Strength: 135 mph maximum sustained winds with higher gusts.