(Reuters) - The eye of Hurricane Irma was passing over the Caribbean island of Barbuda, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory on Wednesday. The hurricane was about 40 miles (65 km) north of Antigua with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), the NHC said.  Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 miles per hour (24 kph) and this motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days,  it added. 