Severe storm watches issued for Jamaica & Cayman Islands

A hurricane watch for the Cayman Islands and a tropical storm warning for Jamaica were issued as a weather system in the Caribbean is expected to strengthen this week, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

On the opposite side of the Atlantic, Patty transitioned from subtropical to a tropical storm located about 380 miles (615 kilometres) east of the Azores early Monday, the hurricane centre reported.

The northwestern Caribbean storm system was expected to become a hurricane and could bring heavy rainfall to Cuba and Florida and possibly the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico later this week, the centre said early Monday morning.

“Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen” was located about 275 miles (445 kilometres) south of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 465 miles (745 kilometres) southeast of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) while moving north at 6 mph (9 kph), the centre said.

A hurricane is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained surface winds of 74 mph (119.1 kph) or greater. A tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 39 mph (62.8 kph) up to 73 mph (117.5 kph).

The storm was expected to be near Jamaica by late Monday and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the centre, which urged residents in Cuba and the Florida Keys to monitor the storm’s progress.

Heavy rainfall will affect the western Caribbean with totals of 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 mm) and up to 9 inches (229 mm) expected locally in Jamaica and southern Cuba. Flooding and mudslides are possible in those nations.

Heavy rains will reach Florida and adjacent areas of the southeast U.S. by mid- to late-week, the centre said.

Tropical Storm Patty had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) while moving east at 20 mph (31 kph), the hurricane center said, noting in a 3 a.m. advisory that Patty is forecast to become post-tropical in the coming days near the Azores, an island chain about 800 miles (1,287 kilometres) off Portugal.