Hurricane Maria is an extremely powerful tropical cyclone which recently made landfall on Dominica as a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale, and is currently threatening the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. The thirteenth named storm, seventh hurricane, fourth major hurricane, and second Category 5 hurricane of the unusually active 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, Maria formed on September 16 out of a tropical wave that was monitored by the National Hurricane Center since September 13. It is the third major hurricane in a row to threaten the Leeward Islands with a direct strike or major impacts within two weeks, after Hurricane Irma caused catastrophic damage there and Jose, then a Category 4 hurricane, passed dangerously close just days after.
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