(11 p.m. update) Matthew has strengthened to 145 mph sustained winds -- its intensity remains a powerful Category 4 as it moves toward Haiti.

Matthew is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through the week.

Matthew is moving northward around the western side of a ridge of high pressure and the center will close in on Haiti by morning then eastern Cuba on later Tuesday.

In addition to the strong winds, heavy rain and storm surge will be deadly for Haiti, and possibly the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.  There will be massive flooding and landslides in Haiti.

Hurricane Matthew is forecast to move across the Bahamas Wednesday and Thursday. The track forecast is more complicated midweek with the computer models showing a lack of consistency in a ridge north of Matthew. This is leading to the differences in the models.

Winds will increase across Florida midweek. It’s soon to say how strong the winds will be, but on Florida’s east coast there will be possible tropical storm winds and building seas and surf. This will result in dangerous rip currents and significant beach erosion there. 

While we expect the highest winds to be along the east coast of Florida, it will be breezy to windy over Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It looks like there will be hazardous boating conditions Wednesday through Friday in the Gulf.

If there is heavy rainfall in Florida, it still may be likely to stay close to the east coast.

As a reminder, the average track forecast errors at day 4 and 5 are hundreds of miles which is why it’s too soon to know how Matthew might affect Florida or the remainder of the United States east coast.

Hurricane Matthew is now the longest-lived category 4 or 5 hurricane in the Eastern Caribbean (75-60°W) on record.

Gov. Rick Scott on Monday signed an executive order, declaring a state of emergency for every Florida county due to the severity of the hurricane.

“Hurricane Matthew is a life-threatening category four hurricane and we must all take it seriously," Scott said while visiting emergency management officials in Hialeah Monday. "If Hurricane Matthew directly impacts Florida, there could be massive destruction which we haven’t seen since Hurricane Andrew devastated Miami-Dade County in 1992.

"That is why we cannot delay and must prepare for direct impact now."

Attorney General Pam Bondi also activated Florida's price gouging hotline. People can call this hotline if they believe a business has dramatically increased the price of food, ice, gas, hotels, lumber and water during a state of emergency.

The hotline number is 1-866-9-NO-SCAM.


 

  • SUMMARY OF INFORMATION — 11 p.m. update
    • Location: 16.9N, 74.6W
    • About 100 miles S of Tiburon, Haiti
    • About 190 miles SW of Port Au Prince, Haiti
    • Maximum sustained winds: 145 mph
    • Present movement: N at 7 mph
    • Minimum central pressure: 943 mb (27.58 inches)
    • Hurricane Warning: Jamaica; Haiti; several Cuban provinces; the southeastern Bahamas, including the Inaguas, Mayaguana, Acklins,
      Crooked Island, Long Cay, and Ragged Island; central Bahamas, including Long Island, Exuma, Rum Cay, San Salvador and Cat Island
    • Hurricane Watch: Cuban province of Camaguey; Turks and Caicos; northwestern Bahamas, including the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry
      Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence
    • Tropical Storm Warning: Dominican Republic from Barahona westward to the border with Haiti
    • Tropical Storm Watch: Dominican Republic from Puerto Plata westward to the border with Haiti

    Here is a list of the Warnings and Watches this morning: 

    A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

    • Jamaica
    • Haiti
    • Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma, and Las Tunas
    • Southeastern Bahamas
    • Central Bahamas

    A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

    • Cuban province of Camaguey
    • Turks and Caicos Islands
    • Northwestern Bahamas

    A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

    • Dominican Republic from Barahona westward to the border with Haiti

    A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

    • Dominican Republic from Puerto Plata westward to the border with Haiti
     
    Make sure to watch our Tropical Updates each hour at :49.

    • What exactly are the spaghetti plots?
    • Information You Need | Supply Checklist


    Remember that the spaghetti model plot does not indicate the strength of a system or even development at all. It only predicts where this broad area of low pressure is expected to go.