Rafael expected to strengthen into hurricane before making landfall in Cuba

Tropical Storm Rafael is acceptable to go a hurricane adjacent the Cayman Islands connected Tuesday nighttime earlier reaching Cuba.

Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to fortify into a hurricane successful the northwestern Caribbean adjacent the Cayman Islands with further strengthening anticipated earlier it makes landfall successful Cuba, the United States National Weather Service reports.

The tempest was located 130km (80 miles) south-southwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, connected Tuesday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 95km/h (60mph) and was moving northwest astatine 20km/h (13mph), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), located successful Miami, Florida.

The tempest was passing westbound of Jamaica connected Tuesday greeting and was forecast to beryllium adjacent oregon implicit the Cayman Islands connected Tuesday nighttime earlier reaching occidental Cuba connected Wednesday.

After Cuba, Rafael’s forecast way volition instrumentality it into the Gulf of Mexico earlier moving into unfavourable precocious ambiance winds and adust air, curtailing its further development, forecasters say.

Tropical Storm #Rafael Advisory 8: Rafael Getting Better Organized arsenic the Center Passes South Of Western Jamaica. Tropical Storm Warning Issued For the Florida Keys. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) November 5, 2024

The tempest could exacerbate an acute vigor crisis successful Cuba. Parts of the land person experienced prolonged powerfulness outages successful caller weeks owed to decrepit infrastructure and a deficiency of substance for its oil-fired powerfulness stations.

The land is inactive struggling to retrieve from Hurricane Oscar, which battered the land astir 2 weeks agone aft making landfall successful the eastbound portion of Cuba, sidesplitting astatine slightest six people.

A hurricane informing is successful effect for the Cayman Islands and occidental Cuba, including the tobacco-growing state of Pinar del Rio, arsenic good arsenic the capital, Havana. A tropical tempest informing is successful effect for Jamaica and cardinal Cuba arsenic good arsenic a ample information of the Florida Keys.

“The tempest is presently situated successful an atmospheric and oceanic situation that is rather conducive for strengthening,” the NHC said.

Forecasters warned Rafael would unleash dense rains crossed the occidental Caribbean that could pb to flooding and mudslides with totals of 70mm to 150mm (3 to 6 inches) and up to 250mm (10 inches) expected locally successful Jamaica and parts of Cuba.

Heavy rainfall besides was expected to dispersed northbound into Florida and parts of the southeast US during the mediate to precocious portion of the week. A fewer tornadoes besides were expected connected Wednesday implicit the Keys and southwesternmost Florida mainland.

A pistillate and her girl ticker a section TV quality programme arsenic Tropical Storm Rafael approaches, successful Playa Baracoa, Cuba, November 4 [Norlys Perez/Reuters] (Reuters)

‘Remain vigilant’

Officials closed schools and authorities offices successful the Cayman Islands arsenic they urged residents to prepare. Long lines were reported astatine market stores arsenic the tempest approached.

Jamaica besides closed down arsenic a precaution arsenic the storm’s outer winds battered the land precocious connected Monday.

“We impulse each Jamaicans to stay vigilant,” said Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie.

Cuban authorities said connected Monday evening that astir 37,000 radical are nether evacuation orders successful acold eastbound Cuba successful the state of Guantanamo.

Rafael is the 17th named tempest of the season. A tropical tempest forms erstwhile sustained winds scope 63km/h (39mph), and it becomes a hurricane erstwhile they scope 119km/h (74mph).

Tropical Storm #Rafael has formed successful the Caribbean – the 17th named tempest of the 2024 Atlantic #hurricane play and 10th to signifier since 24 September. That's the astir Atlantic named tempest formations connected grounds betwixt 24 September – 4 November, breaking aged grounds of 9 acceptable successful 1950. pic.twitter.com/ZCnkUrv52O

— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) November 4, 2024

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane play was apt to beryllium good supra mean with 17 to 25 named storms. The forecast called for arsenic galore arsenic 13 hurricanes and 4 large hurricanes.

An mean Atlantic hurricane play produces 14 named storms, 7 of them hurricanes and 3 large hurricanes.

The hurricane play runs from June 1 to November 30, though storms are little apt to hap successful the last period arsenic cooler upwind prevails.

Rafael would beryllium the 11th hurricane to signifier this year, with 4 becoming large Category 3 storms with maximum sustained winds of 178km/h (111mph) oregon more.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies