Hurricane Jose has strengthened into a Category 4 storm, the National Hurricane Center said Friday, warning that it could keep growing.
The hurricane is currently moving through the central Atlantic Ocean and approaching the northern Leeward Islands, just east of Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 150 mph.
According to NHC forecast models, Hurricane Jose is soon expected to turn northwest, though it remains unclear how close it will get to the Leeward Islands, which include St. Martin, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Barbuda.
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Hurricane watches and warnings are already in effect for St. Martin, Antigua, Anguilla and Barbuda.
Jose strengthening to a Category 4 comes just days after Hurricane Irma barreled through the Caribbean as a Category 5 hurricane — the most powerful class.
Irma was downgraded to a Category 4 early Friday, but remains incredibly dangerous as it prepares to make landfall in Florida, the NHC said.
Hurricane Irma devastated islands throughout the Caribbean this week, including some islands that could be affected by Jose. In St. Martin, for example, an official said that 95 percent of the island had been destroyed, The New York Times reported.
Meanwhile, another storm in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katia, has put parts of Mexico under hurricane watches and warnings, according to the NHC.