Irma's weakening expands hurricane-force winds
Meteorology director Jeff Masters at Weather Underground says Hurricane Irma isn't likely now to regain enough strength to become a Category 5 storm again before it hits Florida. But even though Irma has steadily decreased from 185 mph (298 kph) to 150 mph (241 kph), it remains a dangerous Category 4 storm and will likely hit as one.
That weakening comes at a cost. Now the hurricane-force wind field has expanded greatly, to about 110 miles wide. And that means higher storm surges in a wider area.
