At 5:00 pm EDT on Wednesday, the centre of Maria, the latest tropical storm to form in the Atlantic, was located about 1,205 miles east of the Leeward Islands and moving toward the west near 23 mph.
According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, this rapid motion is expected to continue during the next 24 hours with a gradual decrease in forward speed thereafter. Maximum sustained winds remain near 50 mph, with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast.
An air force reconnaissance plane is scheduled to reach Maria late Thursday.
