Washington, Dhu-AlHijjah 26, 1438, Sep 17, 2017, SPA -- Tropical storm Maria was expected to become a hurricane later Sunday as it heads toward the Caribbean, US forecasters said. The storm was still located some 700 kilometers east of the Leeward Islands, but could pose a threat later this week to parts of the region already hard hit by hurricane Irma last week, dpa quoted the US-based National Hurricane Center as saying. A hurricane warning had been issued for the island of Dominica and lesser hurricane watches were in place for other Caribbean islands, including St Martin, which saw widespread destruction from Irma, and the storm could also affect the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, forecasters said. --SPA 21:56 LOCAL TIME 18:56 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w489573