The class one storm will quickly reinforce throughout the following 48 hours and will hit the islands late on Monday, says the US National Hurricane Center.
It is moving generally along an indistinguishable way from Irma, the tropical storm that crushed the district this month.
Tropical storm notices have been issued for Guadeloupe, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and Martinique.
A tropical storm watch is currently as a result for Puerto Rico, the US and British Virgin Islands, St Martin, St Barts, Saba, St Eustatius and Anguilla.
Some of these islands are as yet recuperating in the wake of being hit by Irma – the classification five tropical storm which left no less than 37 individuals dead and caused billions of dollars of harm.
In its most recent refresh on Monday, the NHC says Maria has greatest supported breezes of 90mph (150 km/h).
The eye of the tempest is 100 miles east of Martinique, and Maria is moving west-northwest at around 13mph.
“Arrangements to secure life and property ought to be hurried to fruition,” the NHC says.
The most southerly purpose of the Leeward Islands – where Maria will initially strike – incorporate Antigua and Barbuda. The last island was emptied in the wake of being crushed by Irma.
The NHC says that “a risky tempest surge joined by vast and damaging waves will raise water levels by as much as 5-7ft (1.5-2.1m) above typical tide levels close where the focal point of Maria moves over the Leeward Islands”.
It likewise estimates a greatest potential precipitation of 20in (51cm) in a few regions of the focal and southern Leeward Islands – including Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands – through to Wednesday night.
“Precipitation on these islands could cause dangerous blaze surges and mudslides,” it cautioned.
Not long ago, Irma left more than 66% of homes on the Dutch side of the island of St Martin (known as Sint Maarten) dreadful, with no power, gas or drinking water.
The French government has said its side of St Martin – known as Saint-Martin – managed about €1.2bn ($1.44bn; £1.1bn) in harm, with nine passings crosswise over Saint-Martin and close-by St Barts.
On the British Virgin Islands, whole neighborhoods were leveled.
After a visit to the range, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson portrayed the harm as something “you find in pictures of from the First World War”.
Virgin manager Richard Branson, who has a home in the Virgin Islands, has been tweeting in front of the tempest’s anticipated landing, cautioning individuals to remain safe.
The Puerto Rican government has issued an announcement saying it anticipates that the sea tempest will make landfall there as a classification three on Tuesday.
The US region got away from the most noticeably bad of the harm from Irma – in spite of the fact that it encountered far reaching power cuts – and it has been a critical center point for getting help to islands that were all the more gravely influenced.
“Puerto Rico is our help,” Judson Burdon, an occupant of Anguilla, revealed to Reuters news office. “We had two volunteer flights scratch off as a result of the climate that is coming.”
Irma likewise hit the US, with 11 passings being connected to the storm. About 6.9 million homes were left without control in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama.
A moment tropical storm, Jose, is likewise dynamic in the Atlantic, with most extreme supported breezes of 90mph.
The focal point of the tempest was around 335 miles south-east of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, the NHC said in its counseling at 21:00 GMT on Sunday.
Hurricane watches have been issued for parts of the north-eastern US.