Category 3 hurricane Maria could strengthen further: NHC

Hurricane Maria is continuing to lash the northeastern Dominican Republic and could strengthen in the next day or so, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday.

The category 3 hurricane is about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Grand Turk Island, packing maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) at present, the NHC said.

Maria is moving in a northwesterly direction at about 9 mph (15 km/h) and is expected to pass near the Turks and Caicos later on Thursday, it added.