Almost a week after Hurricane Harvey, another threat is evolving named Irma.

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Hurricane Irma is posing threats to the Caribbean. By Sunday afternoon, Irma’s eye was around 790 miles east of the Leeward Islands. The storm is expected to be near the northern part of the islands by late Tuesday.

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Hurricane watches have been issued for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis. Expected watches to be added by Monday would be for the British and US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

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According to CNN, the agency has stated Hurricane Irma’s effects. They said, “Irma is expected to impact the northeastern Leeward Islands by the middle of this week as a major hurricane, accompanied by dangerous wind, storm surge, and rainfall impacts, along with rough surf and rip currents.”

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The agency also stated that it is too soon to know the impact Irma could have on the continental United States and there are no warnings or watches in effect yet.

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CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward also stated that it is too early to predict Irma’s threat. He said, “As for what we do know, the system will approach the northern Leeward Islands late Tuesday or early Wednesday, likely as a major hurricane of Category 3 or more. It’s still unclear if these islands will take a direct hit or just be brushed by the outer bands of the storm.”

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Ward mentioned that forecast models generally show Irma turning to the north or northwest by the Bahamas. “How hard the storm turns and where this occurs will determine what portion of the U.S. is the most at risk. It is also still entirely possible that the storm approaches the Bahamas and then turns sharp enough to stay out to sea. The storm is expected to be a major hurricane, so it would still bring high surf, erosion, and rip currents to much of the eastern seaboard, but staying offshore is obviously the best case scenario.”

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CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller says that Irma is a classic “Cape Verde Hurricane.” This is a type of hurricane that forms in the far eastern Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands, the Cabo Verde Islands, and then comes all the way across the Atlantic. These storms have become some the of the worst hurricanes. Examples of these storms include Hurricane Hugo, Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Ivan.

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Updates were added Monday afternoon that prompted Florida and Puerto Rico to declare state of the emergency. It is still unclear the path Irma will take but the possibility was enough for Florida Governor Rick Scott to declare all of Florida under a state of emergency.

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According to CNN, Scott released a statement late Monday afternoon. He stated, “In Florida, we always prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and while the exact path of Irma is not absolutely known at this time, we cannot afford to not be prepared. This state of emergency allows our emergency management officials to act swiftly in the best interest of Floridians without the burden of bureaucracy or red tape.”  

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The governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, activated the National Guard and declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico. The National Hurricane Center declared a hurricane watch for Puerto Rico which caused the governor to declare this state of emergency. The public education system and the University of Puerto Rico will not hold classes Tuesday. Rosselló warned the public that Puerto Rico could be hit by Irma by noon Wednesday.