[tropics-header] Hurricane Matthew has made the all-important turn to the north. This pivot was critical to the major hurricane's eventual track through the Greater Antilles. On Saturday afternoon, Hurricane Hunters noted winds between 130  and 150 mph near a tightly-wound eye as the storm drifted northwest at 5 mph.

Hurricane Warnings have been issued for Jamaica and Haiti, and a Hurricane Watch is in effect for eastern Cuba. The storm is forecast to track between Jamaica and western Haiti on Monday, then make landfall over the eastern tip off Cuba Monday night. Thereafter, a track through The Bahamas is projected and the storm is forecast to slow down considerably. The National Hurricane Center has advised that confidence is still low on any potential impacts to the United States, including Florida.

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The intensification of Matthew Friday evening was incredible, when it briefly became a Category 5 Hurricane.

#Matthew is now a category 5 #hurricane, the first in the Atlantic basin since Felix of 2007. More info: https://t.co/T8bABTTyjI pic.twitter.com/vAJCRIyLPn

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 1, 2016

Only two hurricanes in the Atlantic have ever strengthened so quickly.

Incredible stats showcasing the explosive strength & sheer magnitude of #HurricaneMatthew via @philklotzbach @CNN pic.twitter.com/DxW8TLp8FE

— Derek Van Dam (@VanDamCNN) October 1, 2016

The storm is expected to still be a Major Hurricane when it approaches Cuba, but some fluctuations in intensity between now and then are likely.

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Forecast data is in strong agreement on a track to the north, between the islands of Jamaica and Hispanola on Monday afternoon. Landfall is likely on the eastern tip of Cuba Monday Night.

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The National Hurricane Center "key messages" on Matthew continues to include a statement that conveys the uncertainty on the storm's path early next week. Point number three is most notable.

Here are the key messages from NHC regarding Category 4 #hurricane #Matthew at 5pm EDT Saturday https://t.co/T8bABTTyjI @NHCDirector @NOAA pic.twitter.com/yCTSahezgK

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 1, 2016

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[related tag=MATTHEW]