MIAMI (AP) – A hurricane watch has been issued for the Cayman Islands and a tropical storm warning has been issued for Jamaica as the Caribbean weather system is expected to strengthen this week, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

On the opposite side of the Atlantic, Patty downgraded from a subtropical storm to a tropical storm located about 380 miles (615 kilometers) east of the Azores early Monday, the hurricane center reported.

The storm system in the northwestern Caribbean was expected to become a hurricane and could bring heavy rains to Cuba and Florida and possibly the northern Gulf Coast later this week, the center said early Monday morning.

“Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen” was located about 275 miles (445 kilometers) south of Kingston, Jamaica and about 465 miles (745 kilometers) southeast of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) as it moved north at 6 mph (9 km/h), the center said.

A hurricane is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained surface winds of 74 mph (119.1 km/h) or greater. A tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 39 mph (62.8 km/h) to 73 mph (117.5 km/h).

The storm was expected to be near Jamaica by Monday evening and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the center, which urged residents of Cuba and the Florida Keys to monitor the storm’s progress.

Heavy rainfall will affect the western Caribbean, with totals of 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 mm) and up to 9 inches (229 mm) locally expected in Jamaica and southern Cuba. Flooding and mudslides are possible in these nations.

Heavy rain will reach Florida and adjacent areas of the southeastern U.S. by midweek to late, the center said.

Tropical Storm Patty had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) as it moved east at 20 mph (31 km/h), the hurricane center said, noting in a 3 a.m. warning that patty is forecast to become post-tropical in the coming days nearby. Azores, a chain of islands about 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) off Portugal.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.