Hurricane Dorian: Storm continues to strengthen, National Hurricane Center says

Forecasters expect Hurricane Dorian to strengthen in the coming days as it churns through the Atlantic Ocean.

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In an 11 a.m. bulletin, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said Dorian was spinning about 220 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The storm had maximum sustained winds measured at 85 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

The storm was expected to bring heavy rainfall to portions of Florida and other parts of the southeastern U.S. later this week and into next week, forecasters said.

Here are the latest updates:

Update 11 a.m. EDT Aug. 29: Dorian is expected to pass over or near portions of the Bahamas over the weekend as it continues to travel west-northwest at 13 mph, officials with the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 a.m. bulletin.

Forecasters said the storm could reach the Florida coast as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds between 130 and 156 mph.

Update 10:20 a.m. EDT Aug. 29: Officials at Virgin Islands National Park on Satin John said the park saw fairly minor damage as a result of Hurricane Dorian passing through.

Officials said some trees were downed by winds as the storm passed Wednesday.

"Unlike after Irma, all of the trees still have their leaves!" officials said Thursday morning in an update posted on Facebook.

Officials in the British Virgin Islands said they saw little damage across the islands Thursday morning.

Officials with the National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin released at 8 a.m. that Dorian was spinning about 150 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Officials measured maximum sustained storm winds at 85 mph.

Dorian is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane in the coming days, according to forecasters.

Update 5:20 a.m. EDT Aug. 29: Hurricane Dorian is expected "to strengthen into a major hurricane during the next couple of days," the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. advisory.

The storm, which is about 150 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 425 miles east-southeast of the Bahamas, has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, the advisory said.

Currently, no hurricane watches or warnings are in effect, authorities said.

Read the full advisory here.

Update 11:30 p.m. EDT Aug. 28: Hurricane Dorian is continuing to strengthen as it moves northwest, the National Hurricane Center said in an 11 p.m. advisory. The NHC noted the storm as being 90 miles (145 km) northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"On this track, Dorian should move over the Atlantic well east of the southeastern and central Bahamas on Thursday and Friday," the NHC said.

Parts of the Bahamas and Florida east coast are at risk of storm surge and hurricane-force winds later this week, although the NHC said it's too soon to determine where these hazards will occur.

Update 5:40 p.m. EDT Aug. 28: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Florida, as Hurricane Dorian continues to gain strength and move northwest.

"Today, I am declaring a state of emergency to ensure Florida is fully prepared for Hurricane Dorian," Gov. DeSantis said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "It's important for Floridians on the East Coast to monitor this storm closely. Every Florida resident should have seven days of supplies, including food, water and medicine, and should have a plan in case of disaster. I will continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian closely with emergency management officials. The state stands ready to support all counties along the coast as they prepare."

Hurricane Dorian is expected to become a "dangerous hurricane" in the western Atlantic, according to a 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Parts of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico will experience dangerous winds over the next few hours. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding could continue into Thursday morning, the NHC said.

Heavy winds and rain are expected to occur over parts of the Bahamas, Florida and the southeastern United States through the week, according to the NHC.

Update 2:05 p.m. EDT Aug. 28: Officials on the British Virgin Islands said strong winds and rain are "battering" the islands after forecasters with the National Hurricane Center announced Tropical Storm Dorian had strengthened into a hurricane.

Royal Virgin Islands police Commissioner Mick Matthews asked residents to stay off the roads as the storm churns in the region.

Update 1:50 p.m. EDT Aug. 28: Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said Dorian had strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane on Tuesday afternoon.

The storm, which had maximum sustained winds measured at 75 mph, became a hurricane near Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Forecasters expect the storm to continue to strengthen as it spins in the Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters expect tropical storm-force winds to begin effecting parts of Florida as early as Saturday.

Update 11:35 a.m. EDT Aug. 28: The National Hurricane Center updated its 11 a.m. track to show that Tropical Storm Dorian could be a Category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida on Monday morning, WJAX-TV reported.

Category 3 hurricanes are considered major storms and often leave behind devastating damage with winds as high as 129 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Update 11:10 a.m. EDT Aug. 28: Tropical Storm Dorian strengthened Wednesday morning with maximum sustained winds measured around 70 mph, 10 mph up from the measurement shared by forecasters about three hours earlier.

"Dorian is forecast to become a hurricane later today and continue strengthening during the next few days over the Atlantic waters," National Hurricane Center senior hurricane specialist Lixion Avila said in an 11 a.m. bulletin.

The storm was about 25 miles south of Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and moving northwest at about 13 mph by 11 a.m., forecasters said.

It remained unclear whether the storm would affect the U.S., although WFTV reported it could strengthen to a Category 2 storm as it nears the Florida coast.

Update 8:07 a.m. EDT Aug. 28: Tropical Storm Dorian continues to churn closer toward Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. advisory.

The storm, which is located about 60 miles southeast of St. Croix, is moving northwest at 13 mph, according to the advisory.

Hurricane watches are still in effect for Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, authorities said.

Read the full advisory here.

Update 5:03 a.m. EDT Aug. 28: Tropical Storm Dorian continues to loom toward Puerto Rico with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. advisory.

The storm, which is located about 85 miles southeast of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is moving northwest at 13 mph, according to the advisory.

Hurricane watches are in effect for Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, authorities said.

Read the full advisory here.

Update 2:15 a.m. EDT Aug. 28: Tropical Storm Dorian has strengthened slightly, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 a.m. advisory.

The storm, which is located about 240 miles east-southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, was moving northwest at 13 mph, according to the advisory. Forecasters said Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands would likely start to experience tropical storm conditions later today.

Read the full advisory here.

Update 11:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 27: Tropical Storm Dorian hasn't changed much in strength, but is expected to strengthen before reaching Puerto Rico on Wednesday, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The Tropical Storm is still moving west-northwest at about 13 mph with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, the NHS said.

Update 5:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 27: Officials have issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Vieques, Puerto Rico; Culebra, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as Tropical Storm Dorian crosses the eastern Caribbean Sea, according to a 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Heavy rains and gusty winds have subsided over the Southern Leeward Islands, the advisory said.

Dorian is continuing to move to the west-northwest at about 13 mph, officials said. Its maximum sustained winds remain near 50 mph.

Update 2:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 27: Officials said Tropical Storm Dorian was spinning with maximum sustained winds around 50 mph Tuesday afternoon. By 2 p.m. Tuesday, the storm was about 370 miles southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, National Hurricane Center officials said.

Forecasters said the storm was traveling west-northwest at around 13 mph.

"Slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Dorian is forecast to be near hurricane strength when it moves close to Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola," Stacy Stewart, a senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said in a 2 p.m. bulletin.

Update 11:20 a.m. EDT Aug. 27: Tropical Storm Dorian continued to move northwest Tuesday morning on a path toward the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, the storm was about 415 miles southeast of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Authorities earlier issued hurricane watches for Puerto Rico and portions of the Dominican Republic while other nearby locales were under tropical storm watches and warnings.

Forecasters expect the storm to move near or south of Puerto Rico on Wednesday and to be near the Turks and Caicos Islands by Friday.

It was not clear Tuesday whether the storm would affect the U.S., though WFTV reported Florida could start to feel the effects of the storm late Saturday.

Update 8:15 a.m. EDT Aug. 27: Tropical Storm Dorian has moved across St. Lucia and is now in the eastern Caribbean Sea, the National Hurricane Center reported in its 8 a.m. advisory. The tropical storm warning is no longer in effect for the island nation.

Meanwhile, hurricane watches remain in effect for Puerto Rico and portions of the Dominican Republic, while tropical storm warnings are underway in Puerto Rico, Martinique, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the advisory said.

Read the full advisory here.

Update 5:57 a.m. EDT Aug. 27: Puerto Rico is now under a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch, the National Hurricane Center reported in its 5 a.m. advisory. Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic issued a hurricane watch for Isla Saona to Samana, the advisory said.

The storm, located about 30 miles south of St. Lucia, had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving west-northwest at 13 mph, the center reported.

Read the full advisory here.

Update 11:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 26: The National Hurricane Center released key messages late Monday evening indicating that tropical storm conditions are possible in Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

Puerto Rico governor Wanda Vázquez reportedly signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency according to Axios.

Original report: National Weather Service forecasters said in a 2 p.m. advisory that the storm was about 95 miles east-southeast of Barbados. By Monday morning, NWS officials were measuring maximum sustained winds near 60 mph as the storm moved west. Forecasters noted some higher gusts were also recorded.

The center of the storm was expected to be near the Windward Islands in the West Indies late Monday before Dorian moved Tuesday into the eastern Caribbean Sea, National Weather Service forecasters said.

"Some strengthening is forecast during the next few days, and Dorian could be near hurricane strength when it passes through the northern Windward Islands on Tuesday," Stacy Stewart, a senior hurricane specialist with the NWS's National Hurricane Center, said Monday in an 11 a.m. bulletin. "(Dorian) is expected to be a hurricane when it moves near Puerto Rico and eastern Hispaniola."

Stewart described the storm as "a small tropical cycle," with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 45 miles from its center.

It remained too soon Monday to tell whether the storm would impact the U.S., WFTV reported.

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