Heavy rains pounded the Cayman Islands on Tuesday as meteorologists issued warnings of a potential major hurricane heading towards the southeast U.S. Hurricane watches were put in place for various regions, including Florida's Tampa Bay, parts of Mexico, and Cuba's Pinar del Rio province. The National Hurricane Center cautioned that hurricane conditions could impact these areas in the coming days.
The disturbance, currently over the Cayman Islands, is expected to intensify as it moves over warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasts indicate that it could become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall along the northeast Gulf Coast. The storm's large size is likely to result in significant storm surge, strong winds, and heavy rainfall, affecting areas far beyond its center.
