Storm chasers capture dramatic images of Irma’s eye

Storm chasers and weather scientists have captured dramatic images of the eye of Hurricane Irma, which is barreling toward the U.S.

Scientists have been conducting flights through the storm this week to gather data on the hurricane and predict its path through the Atlantic.

View from inside the eye of #Irma on WP-3D Orion #NOAA42. #NOAA49 and #NOAA42 are prepping now for another series of flights into the storm. pic.twitter.com/5gQZmO1voQ

— NOAAHurricaneHunters (@NOAA_HurrHunter) September 8, 2017

Inside the eye of #Irma on WP-3D Orion #NOAA42. This is referred to as the “stadium effect” https://t.co/iofV4p56DE Credit CDR Kibbey/NOAA. pic.twitter.com/dlUta2IbDL

— NOAAHurricaneHunters (@NOAA_HurrHunter) September 5, 2017 

Hurricane Hunters capture photo of sun shining inside the eye of Hurricane Irma pic.twitter.com/fpn6lxmo5K

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 6, 2017

Irma measures to be about the size of Texas, according to NBC5’s Brian James.

In case you’re wondering if #irma has decreased in size, the answer is unfortunately not. An updated image comparing Irma to size of Texas. pic.twitter.com/UNBVtV6yT1

— Brian James (@BrianJamesNBC5) September 8, 2017

{mosads}

The storm is one of the most powerful ever recorded in the Atlantic, with sustained wind speeds Saturday of 130 miles per hour.

Florida is now directly in the hurricane’s path, after the storm tore through the Caribbean this week, leaving at least 22 people dead.

One million people are now without power in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, and more than 90 percent of the buildings on the island of Barbuda have been destroyed. 

Extreme weather conditions are expected to begin in Florida on Saturday, and the storm’s dangerous eye will move from the Florida Keys up its western coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) gave dire warnings to residents in the path of the deadly storm at a Saturday news conference.

“Evacuate now,” Scott said in Sarasota on the state’s Gulf Coast. “Not tonight, not in an hour, you need to go right now. If you’re in an evacuation zone, leave.”