TAMPA (WFLA) – New watches and warnings have been issued for parts of Florida as Hurricane Dorian continues to batter the Bahamas.

Hurricane Dorian officially made landfall at 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday on Elbow Cay in the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm. It was one of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. The eye of the storm made a second landfall at 2 p.m. on Great Abaco Island near Marsh Harbour with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.

According to the NHC’s 11 p.m. update, Dorian made landfall again on the eastern end of Grand Bahama Island Sunday night.

The 11 p.m. update from the NHC shows a slight weakening in the system, with maximum sustained winds down from 185 mph to 180 mph.

The system is now just 135 miles east of West Palm Beach and is moving west at 6 mph. The extremely dangerous hurricane is expected to continue hammering the Bahamas overnight and through much of Monday. It will then move “dangerously close” to Florida’s east coast late Monday through Tuesday night.

11PM advisory from @NHC_Atlantic has powerful #Dorian with 180 mph winds. Similar track, but all of Florida needs to watch for changes in track, especially east coast. @WFLA pic.twitter.com/KILv3mu9Gp — Steve Jerve (@sjervewfla) September 2, 2019

As the storm creeps toward Florida, the NHC has extended a Hurricane Watch and a Storm Surge Watch for the east coast.

The Hurricane Watch issued earlier in the day from the Volusia/Brevard County Line to the Flagler/Volusia County line has now been extended up to the mouth of St. Mary’s River near the Florida-Georgia border.

The Storm Surge Watch that was previously issued in the same area has also been extended north to the mouth of the St. Mary’s River.

WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN PLACE:

HURRICANE WARNING:

Northwestern Bahamas excluding Andros Island

Jupiter Inlet to the Volusia/Brevard County Line

HURRICANE WATCH:

Andros Island

North of Deerfield Beach to Jupiter Inlet

Volusia/Brevard County Line to the mouth of St. Mary’s River

TROPICAL STORM WARNING:

North of Deerfield Beach to Jupiter Inlet

TROPICAL STORM WATCH:

North of Golden Beach to Deerfield Beach

Lake Okeechobee

STORM SURGE WARNING:

Lantana to the Volusia/Brevard County Line

STORM SURGE WATCH:

North of Deerfield Beach to Lantana

Volusia/Brevard County Line to the mouth of St. Mary’s River

#DORIAN made landfall at 12:40 PM in Elbow Cay, Abaco as one of the most intense hurricanes EVER recorded in the Atlantic Basin. Max sustained winds of 185 MPH with gusts up to 220 MPH. 18-23 foot storm surge. 'Extreme destruction' expected by NHC in the northern Bahamas. pic.twitter.com/fsyFaZ6xGp — Ian Oliver (@WFLAian) September 1, 2019

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