(Reuters) - The U.S. National Hurricane Center described Irma as a small hurricane on Saturday as it moved west across the Atlantic Ocean but said it should become "major" when it gets closer to the Lesser Antilles early next week.
"It is much too early to determine what direct impacts Irma will have on the Bahamas and the continental United States," the forecaster said.
At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the hurricane center said Irma was about 1,220 miles (1,965 km) east of the Leeward Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles (180 kilometers) per hour.
(Writing by Lisa Von Ahn)
