Hurricane Irma approaches Virgin Islands

san juan - The eye of Hurricane Irma approaches the Virgin Islands, Wednesday, reports the American National Hurricane Center. 'Irma's extremely dangerous core will soon go over parts of the Virgin Islands, and arrive in the afternoon or evening near or north of Puerto Rico,' said the NHC.

Irma is now about 225 kilometers east of Puerto Rico, and continues with maximum wind speeds of 295 kilometers per hour, says the Miami-based weather institute.

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Thursday the hurricane will come close to the Dominican Republic's coast to pull further towards the southeastern Bahamas.