The first hurricane of the Atlantic season has gained strength as it passes north of the Dominican Republic.The Dominican Republic closed schools and evacuated coastal communities in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Irene brought high winds and torrential rain to Puerto Rico, cutting electricity to about 800,000 people. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Centre in Miami say, Irene will strengthen further as it heads north-west towards the Bahamas.Irene is generating winds of more than 150 kilometres per hour, and may hit Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas in the US later in the week. The Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuno said, the worst-hit area was the east coast, from Fajardo to Yabucoa.He said, he had asked the US government to declare Puerto Rico a disaster area so it could gain access to emergency funds.