The Caribbean is bracing for a potential hurricane this week, with a weather system currently located south of Jamaica expected to strengthen, The Associated Press reports.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane watch for the Cayman Islands and a tropical storm warning for Jamaica.
The system, currently referred to as “Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen,” is located about 275 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 465 miles southeast of Grand Cayman. It has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and is moving north at 6 mph.
The NHC predicts the storm will become a hurricane and could bring heavy rainfall to Cuba, Florida, and possibly the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico later this week. Residents in Cuba and the Florida Keys are urged to monitor the storm’s progress.
Jamaica is expected to experience the storm by late Monday, with the Cayman Islands facing its impact on Tuesday and Wednesday. Heavy rainfall is forecast for the western Caribbean, with totals of 3 to 6 inches, and up to 9 inches locally in Jamaica and southern Cuba. Flooding and mudslides are possible in these regions.
The heavy rains are expected to reach Florida and adjacent areas of the southeastern U.S. by mid-to-late week.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Patty formed east of the Azores early Monday. Patty transitioned from a subtropical storm to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and is moving east at 20 mph. The NHC predicts Patty will become post-tropical in the coming days near the Azores, an island chain about 800 miles off Portugal.
