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.

The storm system was expected to become a hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean region, the center said in its 1 a.m. advisory.

The system could bring heavy rain to Cuba and Florida and possibly the northern Gulf Coast later this week, the center said.

Early Sunday, the storm system was located about 445 kilometers south of Kingston, Jamaica and about 745 kilometers southeast of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The storm, temporarily named “Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen,” 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.

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