Tropical Storm Delta could become a hurricane later today
Tropical Storm Delta is expected to strengthen and become a
hurricane later today or into tomorrow as it moves away from Jamaica and
towards the Cayman Islands.
The National Hurricane Center(NHC) said the storm was about
165 miles south, south west of Negril in Jamaica, and about 225 miles, south,
south east of Grand Cayman.
“The center
of Tropical Storm Delta was located near latitude 16.1 North, longitude 79.2
West. Delta is moving toward the west near seven miles per hour (mph) and
a turn towards the west-northwest is forecast later today.
“A faster
northwestward motion is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. On the
forecast track, the center of Delta is expected to move away from Jamaica later
today, move near or over the Cayman Islands early Tuesday, and approach western
Cuba and the Yucatan Channel Tuesday afternoon or evening,” the NHC said.
It said that Delta is forecast to move into the southeastern Gulf
of Mexico Tuesday night, and be over the south-central Gulf of Mexico on
Wednesday.
The storm
has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph with higher gusts and that “additional
strengthening is expected during the next few days.
“Delta is expected to become a hurricane tonight or Tuesday before
it nears western Cuba,” the NHC said, adding that a hurricane warning is in effect
for parts of Cuba, while tropical storm warning is in effect for Cayman Islands
including Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, Isle of Youth and the Cuban province
of La Habana
The NHC said that
a dangerous storm surge will raise water levels by as much as two to four feet
above normal tide levels along the south coast of western Cuba near and to
right of where the center makes landfall.
It said tropical
storm conditions are expected in the Cayman Islands beginning late today or
tonight. “
“Through midweek,
Delta is expected to produce four to six inches of rain with isolated maximum
totals of eight inches across Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and western Cuba.
This rainfall could lead to significant flash floods and mudslides,” the NHC
added.
