THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED THROUGHOUT TODAY

Tuesday PM UPDATE: Hurricane Irma becomes first Atlantic Category 5 of 2017 and strongest since Felix 10 years ago.

https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/905037369627222016

https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/905042432286277632

https://twitter.com/AndyHazelton/status/905036680457064448

Tuesday AM….

Clear of the dry air from a few days ago, Irma is free and continues to strengthen into a monster. Currently down to 937mb, Irma is packing sustained winds of 150 mph as she approaches the northern Leeward Islands.

Irma looking ferocious in current infrared imagery.

https://twitter.com/MichaelRLowry/status/904855935574790148

https://twitter.com/anthonywx/status/904973585063841792

Leeward Islands putting in final preparations as Irma hits early Wed!

https://twitter.com/JimCantore/status/904828851368464384

https://twitter.com/NWSSanJuan/status/904907729910861824

https://twitter.com/NWSSanJuan/status/904721654823227392

What’s after the Leewards?

The answer is MOST Caribbean nations are threatened by Irma in the coming 5 days and eventually the US.

https://twitter.com/EricBlake12/status/904874961344626688

https://twitter.com/CNNweather/status/904988779986997248

Latest model tracks

Tags: category 5, hurricane irma, lesser antilles hurricane