The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) expects Tropical Storm Ian to rapidly intensify later today as it moves north towards Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Cuba.
TS Ian’s maximum sustained winds have increased to 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. The storm is expected to become a hurricane later today and become a major hurricane by Monday night before it reaches western Cuba.
TS Ian is 550 kilometres south-southeast of Grand Cayman.
NHC expects the centre of Ian to pass well southwest of Jamaica today, and pass near or west of the Cayman Islands early Monday.
Ian will then move near or over western Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday and emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.
Photo: NOAA
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Grand Cayman.
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio, and Artemisa.
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and the Cuban provinces of La Habana, Mayabeque, and Matanzas
Hazards Affecting Land:
Tropical Storm Ian is expected to produce the following rainfall:
Jamaica and the Cayman Islands: three to six inches, with local maximums of up to eight inches.
Western Cuba: Four to eight inches, with local maximums of up to 12 inches.
See also
Florida Keys to the southern and western Florida Peninsula: two to four inches, with local maximums of to six inches through Wednesday morning.
These rains may produce flash flooding and mudslides in areas of higher terrain, particularly over Jamaica and Cuba.
STORM SURGE: Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as nine to 14 feet above normal tide levels along the coast of western Cuba in areas of onshore winds in the watch area Monday night and early Tuesday.
The storm surge could raise water levels by as much as two to four feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds in the Cayman Islands Sunday night into Monday.
Localised coastal flooding is possible along the coast of Jamaica in areas of onshore winds on Sunday.
SURF: Swells generated by Ian are affecting Jamaica and will spread to the Cayman Islands later today. Swells will then spread northwestward to the southwestern coast of Cuba and the coasts of Honduras, Belize, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico Monday and Monday night. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
