Cayman Islands under Hurricane Watch; Jamaica receives Tropical Storm Warning

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has initiated advisories for a developing system in the western Caribbean Sea, officially designating it as Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen.

This classification, announced as of 4 p.m. on Sunday, indicates the disturbance is expected to impact land within 48 hours, despite not yet reaching tropical depression or storm status. The system currently holds maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and is moving northeast at 7 mph. Positioned approximately 345 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica, it could soon strengthen into a named storm, with “Rafael” as the next name on the 2024 Atlantic hurricane list.

A hurricane watch has been issued for the Cayman Islands, including Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac, while Jamaica is under a tropical storm warning. Forecasters anticipate that Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen will intensify into a tropical storm by Monday as it approaches Jamaica, with hurricane conditions possible in the Cayman Islands from Tuesday into Wednesday. “This system is expected to become a tropical depression tonight and steady strengthening is forecast,” stated the NHC. Early projections indicate that Rafael could achieve Category 1 hurricane strength as it nears western Cuba by Wednesday.