Tropical Storm Ian is intensifying in the Caribbean Sea and could become a major hurricane threat for the northern Caribbean and the Southeast United States, including Florida, next week.
Late Friday night, south of Hispaniola, Ian became the ninth named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
Tropical Storm Ian Is Strengthening And Could Become a Major Hurricane Threat
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for 24 counties as the state prepares for Ian.
This will free up additional resources for storm preparation, as well as activate members of the Florida National Guard who will be placed on alert ahead of Ian's arrival, as per The Weather Channel.
Parts of the Caribbean have been issued tropical storm and hurricane warnings.
We are still in the early stages of tracking this most recent storm. We have higher confidence in certain areas of the prediction than others, which is common for tropical forecasting this far out in time.
A hurricane watch has been issued for the Cayman Islands, indicating that hurricane-force winds are possible by early Monday. Winds in the Caymans could reach tropical storm status as early as late Sunday, complicating preparations.
A tropical storm watch has been issued for Jamaica, indicating that tropical storm conditions are probable on Sunday.
From Ian through Monday or Tuesday, heavy rain is anticipated throughout the Caribbean. This might cause hazardous flash flooding and mudslides in steep and mountainous places, especially in Jamaica and Cuba.
According to the National Hurricane Center, up to 6 inches of rain might fall in southern Hispaniola, up to 12 inches in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and up to 14 inches in western and central Cuba.
Storm surge flooding of up to three feet above average tides is possible in the Cayman Islands Sunday night and Monday.
Localized coastal flooding is also conceivable throughout Jamaica's coast in regions with onshore breezes.
A rapidly growing system will prefer to trend eastward. As a result, a track into or just off the Florida east coast, as well as a hit on the Florida west coast or the Florida Panhandle, are all possibilities at this time.
AccuWeather meteorologists will continue to improve the prediction depending on the storm's strength and other weather systems that might impact its path.
A zone of high pressure that stretched from the middle Atlantic to the United States' southern Plains. The system will separate on Friday, allowing it to continue northward.
This will allow a southward dip in the jet stream to push the system to the north or northeast, and the speed of that feature will be critical in deciding the precise course.
This will determine the system's route over Florida, as well as how the storm behaves after striking Florida, including how near it will track to the East Coast of the United States days later.
Because the topography in the western and central regions of Cuba is rather flat, the vast island may have little influence on the total power of the storm, allowing it to ramp up even more once it approaches the bathlike waters of the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
Temperatures in the water range from the northwest Caribbean to the southeastern Gulf and Florida Straits, with some spots reaching 90 degrees.
While the trajectory might vary this weekend and into next week, residents of Florida, particularly those on the peninsula and Keys, should brace themselves for a severe storm from Tuesday through Thursday next week.
