Hurricane watch for Caymans, tropical storm warning for Jamaica as system in Caribbean expected to strengthen

The National Hurricane Center has posted a hurricane watch for the Cayman Islands and a tropical storm warning for Jamaica due to a weather system in the Caribbean that’s expected to strengthen this week.

If it becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Rafael.

“The system is expected to move near Jamaica by late today and be near or over the Cayman Islands late Tuesday into Wednesday,” the center said, adding that it’s “expected to become a tropical storm today with additional strengthening forecast thereafter. The system could be near hurricane intensity when it passes near the Cayman Islands.”

The Miami-based hurricane center said heaviest rainfall is forecast to occur over Jamaica and parts of Cuba through mid-week.

“Rainfall totals between 3 to 6 inches with locally up to 9 inches are expected. Flooding could occur over portions of Jamaica and Cuba, with mudslides possible,” the center noted.

Heavy rainfall will spread north into Florida and adjacent areas of the southeast United States in mid- to late week, the center said.

CBS News meteorologist Nicolette Nolan says the system is forecast to move into the Gulf of Mexico.

“Models are in disagreement of where it will track after it reaches the Gulf,” Nolan says, “but the Gulf coasts from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida need to be on alert for impacts at the end of the week.”