Washington, Dhu-AlHijjah 28, 1438, September 19, 2017, SPA -- Hurricane Maria has strengthened to a category 5 storm, the US National Hurricane Center has said, according to dpa. The storm "has intensified into an extremely dangerous" hurricane, with winds of 260 kilometres per hour and even stronger wind gusts, the agency said. Maria is currently located about 25 kilometres east-south-east of the Caribbean island of Dominica and about 70 kilometres north of Martinique, it added. --SPA 03:36 LOCAL TIME 00:36 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w490515