MIAMI – Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect for parts of Florida, Cuba and Mexico due to Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, which formed Monday, the National Hurricane Center reported, which gave an account of the procedures of the Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft monitoring the system.
According to Tuesday’s 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time bulletin, the system was located 115 miles west-northwest of Grand Cayman and 265 miles south-southeast of the western tip of Cuba. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and moving north-northwest at 6 mph.
Experts say there is an increased risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds along portions of the northern and northeastern Gulf Coast, including the Florida Panhandle and parts of Florida’s west coast.
WARNINGS AND WATCHES
A hurricane watch for:
- Cabo Catoche to Tulum, Mexico
- Cuban province of Pinar del Rio
A tropical storm warning for:
- Rio Lagartos to Tulum, Mexico
- Grand Cayman
- Cuban provinces of Artemisa and Pinar del Río, and the island of Youth
Tropical Storm Watch:
- Dry Tortugas
- Lower Keys south of the Seven Mile Bridge
- Along the southwest coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south to Flamingo
Storm Surge Watch
- From the southwest coast of Florida from Bonita Beach to Flamingo
The system is expected to become a hurricane on Wednesday and continue to strengthen as it moves into the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
