Tropical Storm Ian, which formed in the central Caribbean late Friday, could threaten Florida as a major hurricane early next week after crossing western Cuba, forecasters said.
The National Hurricane Center said South Florida and Florida Keys residents should have hurricane supplies ready by sundown Monday. The storm could hit the peninsula as a Category 3 or higher hurricane, it said.
The storm struck at 2 a.m. in the eastern east on Saturday, about 345 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. We were heading west at 13 miles per hour with a maximum wind speed of 40 mph. Hurricane Center said.
Ian was expected to transit near or over the southwest of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Sunday before crossing the central Caribbean on Saturday and approaching western Cuba on Monday. South Florida and the Florida Keys could experience heavy rain on Monday, causing limited flooding, the center said.
On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 24 counties, including Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, ahead of the storm. Under the order, funds will be released for protective measures and the National Guard will begin to operate, DeSantis said.
“This storm has the potential to develop into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to be prepared,” he said in a statement.
Ian is expected to produce 2 to 4 inches of rain in Haiti and parts of the Dominican Republic, 4 to 8 inches in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and 6 to 10 inches in western and central Cuba.
The Cayman Islands issued a hurricane alert on Friday and Jamaica issued a tropical storm alert.
Ian is the 9th named storm in the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season.Storms are named when wind speeds reach 39 miles per hour or more
Fiona, which formed on Sept. 15, intensified into a major hurricane before being downgraded to a tropical storm late Friday. It was previously expected to land in eastern Canada.
Tropical Storm Gaston, which formed on Tuesday, was expected to move near or over the Azores in the North Atlantic on Saturday morning.
Also on Friday, Tropical Storm Helmin hit the eastern Atlantic, bringing 2 to 4 inches of rain to the Canary Islands and flash flooding in some highlands.
The Atlantic hurricane season ran from June to November and got off to a relatively quiet start. Only three named storms occurred on him by September 1, and none in August. This is his first time since 1997. And Earl formed within a day of each other.
In early August, NOAA scientists released updated forecasts for the remainder of the season, which still called for above-normal levels of activity. In it, they found between 14 and 20 named storms in the season running through November 30, of which 6 to 10 could turn into hurricanes with sustained winds of at least 74 mph. I predicted.
Three to five of them could intensify into what NOAA calls major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher), with winds of at least 111 mph.
Last year saw 21 named storms, following a record 30 in 2020. Over the past two years, meteorologists have exhausted the list of names used to identify storms during the Atlantic hurricane season. ,Year 2005.
The link between hurricanes and climate change has become clearer with each passing year. Data show that hurricanes have gotten stronger around the world over the last 40 years. On a warming planet, we would expect hurricanes to become stronger over time, leading to higher rates of the most powerful storms, but factors such as strong windshear could hinder the formation of weaker storms. Therefore, the overall number of storms is likely to decrease.
Hurricanes are also getting wetter due to increased water vapor in the warmer atmosphere. Scientists suggest that storms like 2017’s Hurricane Harvey brought far more rain than would have been possible without human influence on the climate. Rising sea levels also contribute to an increase in storm surges, the most destructive component of tropical cyclones.