Hurricane Matthew grows to a fierce Category 4 storm

Hurricane Matthew intensified to a powerful Category 4 storm Friday afternoon as it continued pushing toward Jamaica.

In their 5 p.m. advisory, National Hurricane Center forecasters said sustained winds in Matthew had reached a fierce 140 mph. The storm was located about 465 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica and had slowed to 7 mph.

The storm could dump up to 20 inches of rain in parts of Jamaica, raising the risk of dangerous landslides on the mountainous island.

The Jamaican government has issued a hurricane watch. A tropical storm watch was issued for the southwest coast of Haiti, from the border of the Dominican Republic, to Port-Au-Prince.

Over the last day, the storm has rapidly strengthened despite stiff wind shear, the upper atmosphere winds that typically keep storms from powering up. The storm is continuing to move to the west, and is expected to slow tonight and Saturday.

The storm should begin to turn to the north on Sunday, taking it on a track headed for Jamaica. Forecasters say Matthew will remain a powerful storm at least until Sunday. Matthew could lose strength after it makes landfall.

As it slows over warm Caribbean water, forecasters warned the sprawling storm could grow even more intense. Hurricane force winds spread 35 miles from the storm’s center, with tropical storm force winds extending 195 miles.

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Hurricane Matthew grows to a fierce Category 4 storm."