UPDATE - US: Dorian becomes hurricane as it nears Puerto Rico

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Beyza Binnur Donmez and Michael Hernandez

ANKARA (AA) - Dorian was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday as it nears Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with heavy rains and winds, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Forecasters are predicting it could strengthen further to a Category 3 by the time it hits Florida late this weekend.

The storm is currently packing sustained winds of a 75 mph (120 kph) while moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), according to the NHC. A Category 1 hurricane has minimum sustained winds of 74 mph (119 kph).

Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria which destroyed and flooded large swathes of the island in 2017. The federal government has sent 3,000 emergency responders to the American territory as Dorian approaches.

Eastern Puerto Rico is expected to receive between 4-6 inches (10-15 centimeters) of rain, with isolated areas expected to receive up to 10 inches (25 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service.

Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency late Monday as forecasters warned Dorian come become a hurricane as it gained strength in the Atlantic Ocean.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico, freeing up federal resources to assist. But he followed the declaration up with a series of tweets assailing the U.S. territory's political leadership.

"Puerto Rico is one of the most corrupt places on earth. Their political system is broken and their politicians are either Incompetent or Corrupt. Congress approved Billions of Dollars last time, more than anyplace else has ever gotten, and it is sent to Crooked Pols," he said.

"And by the way, I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to Puerto Rico!" he additionally claimed.

The hurricane center highlighted the threat of the tropical storm in the Bahamas and along parts of the Florida’s east coast increased. It urged residents in this areas to monitor Dorian and ensure they have a hurricane plan in place.

The uncertainty of the storm's strength remains "higher than usual" due to the large spread of the storm on computer models, it said.