Hurricane Matthew Heads Up to Jamaica, Cuba

Matthew strengthened into a hurricane Thursday in the eastern Caribbean Sea, the National Hurricane Center said.

Matthew is forecast to take a sharp northern turn over the next few days and could threaten the U.S. sometime next week. Before then, it is a threat to Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.

As of 5 p.m. ET Thursday, the storm was located 150 miles north-northeast of Curacao and was moving to the west at 17 mph. It had sustained winds of 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

A Tropical storm watch is in effect for the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba and portions of the Columbia coast. A Tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area within the next 24 to 36 hours.

One person was killed by the storm in St. Vincent, weather.com reported. Power outages were reported on several Caribbean islands, including Martinique and Barbados.

Source: USA Today