Hurricane Irma intensifies in Atlantic, forecast to become Category 4 storm,

What had been Tropical Storm Irma rapidly intensified Thursday and became Hurricane Irma, a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.

National Weather Service forecaster Tim Sedlock said that although the hurricane poses no immediate threat to the state, Floridians should keep a close eye on the storm and make preparations for later next week.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, he said that the storm was still “many thousand miles” from the Florida coast, about 720 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands.

The storm was moving toward the west-northwest at 10 mph.

Hurricane Irma is projected to reach Category 4 strength by next week. A storm of that strength has winds from 130 to 156 mph.

Irma bulked up so quickly because it moved more slowly and farther to the south than had been expected, allowing it to remain over the warm ocean longer, away from drier air to the north, the hurricane center said.

It’s too early to know if Irma will become a threat because the storm’s movement is not consistent, but Sedlock pointed out Irma is forming during peak hurricane season.

AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said all interests in the eastern Caribbean should monitor its progress.

“It is way too soon to say with certainty where and if this system will impact the U.S.,” he said.

Irma’s general path and the steering winds guiding it should put the storm close to the Leeward Islands and then perhaps Puerto Rico and Hispaniola toward the middle of next week, said AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Thompson.

Elsewhere, the hurricane center issued its final advisory on what is now Tropical Depression Harvey, which was over central Louisiana early Thursday.