MIAMI - Hurricane Felix was upgraded to a potentially devastating Category Four storm Sunday as it churned its way through the Caribbean toward Belize and Mexico`s Yucatan peninsula.
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami upgraded Felix from Category Three strength on the Saffir-Sampson scale, which peaks at five.
The storm`s top winds have increased to near 220 kilometers (140 miles) per hour, with stronger gusts.
"Felix continues to strengthen ... now a Category Four hurricane," the NHC said in its latest public advisory at 2100 GMT.
Earlier a weaker Felix dealt a glancing blow Sunday to the Netherlands Antilles islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao as it barreled over the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.
At 2100 GMT, the massive storm was about 710 kilometers (440 miles) southeast of Kingston in Jamaica, moving west-northwest at about 32 kilometers (20 miles) per hour.
Felix was not expected to hit Jamaica directly, but its strong outer squalls could rock the island ahead of elections on Monday.
Its track also was expected to take it toward Belize or the Yucatan in Mexico, with landfall projected for Wednesday.
09/02/2007 21:55 GMT