The National Hurricane Center officially designated a broad area of low pressure in the western Caribbean as Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen (PTC18) on Sunday afternoon.
The storm is expected to strengthen to a tropical storm late Sunday night or early Monday morning, moving through the western Caribbean and continuing to strengthen through the first half of the week, and potentially reaching hurricane strength by Wednesday as it nears the Gulf of Mexico.
The next Atlantic storm name is Rafael.
A hurricane watch has been issued for the Cayman Islands. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area in approximately 48 hours.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for Jamaica, which means that tropical storm conditions are anticipated for the region within the next 24 to 36 hours.
he NHC says the broad Caribbean area of low pressure will drift slowly to the northwest through the next several days, bringing heavy rain to adjacent land areas in the western Caribbean.
It’s possible this system could head into the Gulf of Mexico sometime mid- to late week, but there is no guarantee it will bring any significant impacts to the U.S. Gulf Coast. That’s because wind shear, dry air and cooling Gulf waters might be hostile factors to its ability to stay organized or even remain intact as it tracks farther north. Read the full story from The Weather Channel
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