Hurricane Matthew, Now A Category at 5, Headed For Jamaica

Matthew has intensified in a Category 5 hurricane, the highest intensity classified on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale.

At 11:00 PM ET, Data from an Air Force Hurricane Hunter plane indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 160 mph (260km/h) with higher gusts. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible this weekend, but Matthew is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through Sunday.

The eye of Hurricane Matthew was located near latitude 13.3 North, longitude 72.3 West.Matthew is moving just south of due west near 7 mph (11 km/h). A turn toward the west-northwest is forecast on Saturday, followed by a turn toward the northwest on Sunday.

On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will move north of the Guajira Peninsula tonight, move across the central Caribbean Sea on Saturday, and be approaching Jamaica late Sunday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km).