Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen formed Sunday afternoon in the southern Caribbean Sea and is expected to become a tropical storm sometime Monday.
With the current forecast, Jamaica remains under a Tropical Storm Warning and is set to feel impacts late Monday and into Tuesday morning.
The Cayman Islands and portions of western Cuba are expected to experience hurricane-force winds and storm surge, per the National Hurricane Center.
At this time, the Cayman Islands are under a Hurricane Watch. Additional watches and warnings are expected to be issued over the next day or two.
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For South Florida, a windy forecast is in play through midweek as the system slides from the Northwest Caribbean to the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico sometime Wednesday.
Gusty conditions are expected in the Florida Keys with passing downpours Tuesday through Wednesday night.
Residents should follow the forecast carefully as the system slowly evolves and matures Monday.
Local
Should Rafael develop as forecast, it would be the 17th named storm and 11th hurricane of the 2024 season.
