The Northwestern Caribbean’s Cayman Islands are where tropical storm Rafael is most likely to become a hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Center’s announcement on Monday ( local time ). When hitting Cuba, the program is anticipated to strengthen further.
Currently, the storm is situated approximately 335 miles ( 540 km ) to the southeast of Grand Cayman, with sustained wind speeds reaching 45 mph ( 75 kmh ).
According to AP information, the wind may pour heavy rains into Jamaica and the Cayman Islands before possibly hitting Cuba.
A tropical storm alert for Jamaica and a hurricane watch for the Cayman Islands and pieces of Cuba were issued by the US National Hurricane Center in Miami. A tropical storm view is in consequence for parts of Cuba and the lower and middle Florida Keys.
As of Monday, Rafael was located about 150 kilometers north of Kingston, Jamaica, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It is moving north-northwest at 9 miles. Late on Monday ( local time ), the storm is expected to pass over or close the Cayman Islands late on Tuesday as a hurricane and then make its way toward Cuba on Wednesday.
While most forecasts predict Rafael will peak as a Category 1 hurricane, a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert, Michael Lowry, cautions,” but conditions over the next few days will favor strengthening so we’ll need to monitor how quickly it organizes, and a stronger hurricane ca n’t be ruled out”.
Schools are closing and people are getting bags, as Jamaica and the Cayman Islands are gearing up for the wind. Western Caribbean rainfall is anticipated to be large, with up to 6 inches of rain forecast for some areas of Jamaica and Cuba and up to 9 inches of rain in some places. Flooding and landslides are achievable.
A total of 37, 000 Guantanamo county residents were forced to stay evacuated on Monday night, according to Caribbean officials, as a result of the severe weather conditions.
Rafael, the 17th named wind of the season, follows Tropical Storm Oscar’s October strike, which left eight people dead and the country without power after the electrical system collapsed.
Officials attributed a major disaster to a rural area northeast of Kingston on Sunday, which The Jamaica Observer reported. Whilst no fatalities were reported, some communities became disconnected.
The western Caribbean region is experiencing substantial precipitation, with rainfall measurements expected between 3 to 6 inches ( 7 to 15 centimetres ), potentially reaching 9 inches ( 23 cm ) in localised areas of Jamaica and Cuba. These circumstances raise the possibility of flooding and landslides.
