FLORIDA, United States, Thursday September 7, 2017 – Hurricane Jose is a little stronger as it continues on a path towards the Leeward Islands.

It’s now carrying maximum sustained winds near 90 miles per hour and the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami said hurricane and tropical storm watches will likely be required for portions of the island chain later this morning.

At 5 a.m., Jose was about 815 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and moving west northwest at 18 miles per hour.

The NHC said that general motion is expected to continue during the next couple of days and some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.

Jose is moving in the same general direction that the devastating Category 5 Hurricane Irma took, and it is expected to impact the northern Leeward Islands this weekend. However, it is a much weaker hurricane.