Storm in the Caribbean could hit Cuba as a hurricane

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A new tropical storm was expected to form in the Caribbean on Monday, bringing heavy rain to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands before strengthening into a hurricane and likely hitting Cuba, forecasters said.

The storm will be called Raphael. Later in the week It is also expected to bring heavy rain to Florida and parts of the southeastern United States, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch was in effect for the Cayman Islands and parts of Cuba, including the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, Havana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and Isle of Youth. Tropical storm watches have been issued for Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camagüey and Las Tunas in Cuba.

“Confidence is growing in sustained strengthening until the system reaches Cuba or the southeastern Gulf of Mexico,” the center said.

The tropical depression was located about 200 miles (325 kilometers) south of Kingston, Jamaica on Monday afternoon. The center said maximum sustained winds were 35 mph (55 kph), and northbound speeds were 9 mph (15 kph).

The forecast storm is expected to pass near Jamaica late Monday, pass near or over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday and approach Cuba on Wednesday. Strength could be close to that of a hurricane when it passes near the Cayman Islands.

The latest forecast shows unrest could spread like a hurricane over western Cuba on Wednesday. Residents of Cuba and the Florida Keys were among those urged to monitor the unrest as it unfolded.

Most forecasts show the potential storm will peak as a Category 1 hurricane, “but conditions over the next few days will favor strengthening, so we will need to keep an eye on how quickly it organizes, and a stronger hurricane cannot be ruled out,” wrote Michael Lowry , a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert, presented the analysis Monday.

On Monday morning, the Cayman Islands government handed out sandbags to people and announced that schools would close on Tuesday.

“Residents are urged to take immediate precautions to protect themselves and their property,” the government said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Observer reported on Sunday a large landslide in a rural area north of the capital Kingston, which authorities blamed on continued rains ahead of a potential storm. No casualties were reported, but several communities remained isolated.

Heavy rainfall will affect the western Caribbean, with rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches (7 to 15 centimeters) and up to 9 inches (23 cm) in Jamaica and parts of Cuba. Floods and landslides are possible.

On the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Patty has dissipated.