Hurricane Dean continues to move toward the west at about 17mph with a general westward to west-northwestward motion expected during the next 24 hours. On this track the core of the hurricane will be moving south of the Dominican Republic later today and south of Haiti tonight according to the National Hurricane Center.

Maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph with higher gusts making Dean a category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Some strengthening is possible during the next 24 hours.

Dean is big too. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.