Hurricane Matthew now a dangerous Category 3(Update)

Miami, – The National Hurricane Center on Friday said Matthew strengthened to a Category 3 in the Caribbean and remains a dangerous threat to Jamaica,Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas over the next few days.

The Miami s of 11 a.m. ET, Matthew had maximum-sustained winds of115 mph, according to . It was moving to thewest-southwest at 12 mph and was located 495 miles east-southeast of Kingston,Jamaica.

FILE.Santo Domingo. The National Weather Office (Onamet) on Thursdayforecasts increasing cloudiness and showers from Matthew Hurricane, at 5am locatedsome 420 kilometers southeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, andcontinues to move westward at around 22 kph, with maximum sustained winds of155 kph, now a category 2 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center said Matthew is currently in theCentral Caribbean and will be south of Santo Domingo around noon Friday.

It said the hurricane will continue to intensify gradually.

Cloudiness dominated the skies over Santo Domingo Thursdaynight, while widely scattered showers fell over the eastern and southeasternregions.

It adds that a further increase in cloudiness is expected todaydue to the effects of the hurricane’s outer bands.