MIAMI (AP) - The latest on tropical weather in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (all times local):
8:45 p.m.
The United Nations has released $10 million from its emergency fund for humanitarian efforts to help tens of thousands of people in the Caribbean needing help after Hurricane Irma.
U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said Sunday the funds will enable the U.N. and other aid organizations to provide food, health care, clean water and other urgently needed help to the people most affected by the storm.
He notes that people are still without basic services and says that “this allocation will allow us to kick-start operations for families and communities in desperate need.”
Hurricane Irma left a wake of destruction on several Caribbean islands and killed at least 38 people, including 10 in Cuba and 15 on the island shared by French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten.
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5:30 p.m.
Tropical Storm Maria is now a hurricane and is forecast to strengthen and brush by some islands that were recently wrecked by Hurricane Irma.
The National Hurricane Center said Sunday that the storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph). It is located about 140 miles east northeast of Barbados and heading west-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph). A slower west-northwest motion is expected over the next couple of days.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Guadeloupe, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat.
Maria is expected to strengthen and be near major hurricane intensity when it moves across the Leeward Islands late Monday.
The storm could also affect the British and U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by mid-week as a dangerous major hurricane.
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11:10 a.m.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Jose is growing stronger off the East Coast of the U.S., with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph).
Forecasters say the storm is expected to cause dangerous surf and rip currents.
While Jose is projected to weaken and veer away from any direct impact on the coast, the Hurricane Center said a minor shift could bring tropical-storm-force winds to North Carolina’s Outer Banks or areas to the north.
It was centered about 355 miles (575 kilometers) southeast of Cape Hattaras late Sunday morning and was moving north at 9 mph (15 kph).
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8:30 a.m.
Tropical Storm Maria is posing a growing threat to Caribbean islands already devastated by Hurricane Irma.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Maria is projected to become a major hurricane as it moves across the Leeward islands toward Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
A hurricane watch has been posted for St. Martin and St. Barts.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) Sunday morning and it’s expected to become a hurricane during the day. It was centered about 410 miles (655 kilometers) east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles and was headed west-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph).
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5:04 a.m.
Hurricane Jose has sped up its northward trek with no change in strength but remains far from land as it generates powerful swells affecting coastal areas in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the U.S. southeast.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 5 a.m. Sunday update that tropical storm watches were possible for the U.S. East Coast over the next day or so and advised people from North Carolina to New England to monitor Jose’s progress. The center says dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along the East Coast of the United States.
The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph). It was located about 420 miles (680 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and was heading north at 8 mph (13 kph).
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11:20 p.m.
Hurricane Jose continues its slow northward trek but remains far from land as it generates powerful swells affecting coastal areas in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the U.S. southeast.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 11 p.m. Saturday update that tropical storm watches were possible for the U.S. East Coast over the next day or so and advised people from North Carolina to New England to monitor Jose’s progress. The center says dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along the East Coast of the United States.
The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph). It was located about 465 miles (750 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and was heading north at 7 mph (11 kph).
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