As of 11:05 p.m. ET, Matthew had maximum-sustained winds of 160 mph, AccuWeather.com's senior meteorologist Michael Leseney told USA TODAY. It was moving to the west at 7 mph and was located 440 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, Leseney said. Photo: USA Today

As of 11:05 p.m. ET, Matthew had maximum-sustained winds of 160 mph, AccuWeather.com's senior meteorologist Michael Leseney told USA TODAY.  It was moving to the west at 7 mph and was located 440 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, Leseney said.

The National Hurricane Center and Accuweather.com confirmed Matthew's status on Twitter:

A hurricane watch is in effect for Jamaica and a tropical storm watch has been issued for portions of Haiti.

A hurricane is classified as "major" when its sustained winds reach 111 mph. A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It's the first major hurricane in September in the Caribbean since Felix in 2007.

Sometime on Saturday or early Sunday, Matthew should make its long-anticipated northwest or northward turn in the Caribbean Sea, weather.com reported.

In Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said government services have been placed on high alert, according to the Jamaica Observer newspaper.  Thursday, fishermen on Jamaica’s cays and banks were advised to evacuate immediately and return to the mainland.

Other small craft operators in the island’s coastal waters were also told to return to port, while those in port were advised not to venture out, the newspaper reported.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said the state emergency operations centers were active on Friday. He said state officials will continue monitoring Matthew's path and urged residents and tourists to monitor the storm and have their emergency plan in place.

"While the National Hurricane Center's current forecast predicts Matthew traveling east of Florida, we all know that the track of these storms can quickly change," Scott said.

Whether or not impacts will be indirect from a hurricane at sea or direct from a landfall in the U.S. are still unclear, AccuWeather said.

"It is too soon to rule out possible hurricane impacts from Matthew in Florida," according to the hurricane center.

Even if Matthew turns toward the sea next week, rough surf and heavy seas would occur along the Atlantic coast.