(Reuters) - Hurricane Maria is continuing to lash the northeastern Dominican Republic and could strengthen in the next day or so, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday. The category 3 hurricane is about 220 miles (350 km) southeast of Grand Turk Island, packing maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) at present, the NHC said. Maria is moving in a northwesterly direction at about 9 mph (15 km/h) and is expected to pass near the Turks and Caicos later on Thursday, it added. 