Meteorological experts have warned that tropical storm Ian has strengthened into a hurricane set to trigger strong winds, flash floods and mudslides in Florida, Cuba and Jamaica.
The weather system is located about 90 miles (150 km) southwest of the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean Sea, according to the latest warning released Monday by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Authorities in the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio, about two hours southwest of the capital Havana, are preparing to evacuate people before the storm hits the western part of the island en route to Florida.
A hurricane warning is underway in Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands, along with Pinar del Rio and other Cuban provinces including Isla de Juventud and Artemisa.
The NHC tweeted Monday morning: “Life-threatening thunderstorms and hurricane winds are expected in parts of western Cuba starting late today, and Ian is expected to be at full hurricane strength when near western Cuba. .
“Efforts to protect life and property should be completed.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency amid growing concerns over the impact of the hurricane, with residents urged to monitor the storm’s evolving path and prepare for heavy rain, strong winds and rising tides, which lead to widespread outages, including power outages.
Weather models predict that the hurricane will travel to the west coast of Florida or the Panhandle region, but forecasters are currently unsure where it will land.
Governor DeSantis said in a press conference on Sunday: “We will continue to monitor the traces of this storm.
“But it’s really important to underline the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” he warned.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned that the storm would have “wide-ranging impacts across the state.” Pic: Democrat Tallahassee / AP
“Even if you’re not necessarily in the eye of the storm’s path, there will be quite large impacts across the state.”
US President Joe Biden it also declared an emergency, as authorities begin coordinating disaster relief and providing assistance to protect lives and property.
Mr. Biden also delayed a scheduled trip to Florida on Tuesday due to the storm.
Senior hurricane specialist at the NHC, John Cangialosi, urged people to start gathering supplies amid news of a run on water and generators.
Residents of Tampa, Florida queue for two hours on Sunday to fill sandbags. Pic: Tampa Bay Times via AP
Water stripped empty shelves in a supermarket in Tampa, Florida. Image: Tampa Bay Times / AP
“It’s a hard thing to say stay tuned, but that’s the right message right now,” he said.
“But for those in Florida, it’s still time to prepare.
“I’m not telling you to roll up the blinds or anything like that yet, but it’s still time to get the supplies.”
The approaching storm also delayed another planned attempt on Tuesday to launch NASA’s Artemis moon mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Dr Reinhard Schiemann, associate professor at the National Center for Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading, warned of the impact climate change could have on tropical cyclones including Ian.
“Although the total number of tropical cyclones may not change much, or even decrease, we expect to see an increase in peak wind speed so that the fraction of Category 4 and Category 5 cyclones – the worst and potentially most destructive – will increase. .
“The average rainfall rate in tropical cyclones is also likely to increase, because warmer air can hold more water and because at higher wind speeds the moisture supply rate in a rainy area increases.
“We also expect that the most intense phase of tropical cyclones will tend to occur at higher latitudes than we have seen in the past.”
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Here’s how climate change might be at stake.
In Canada, Storm Fiona wiped out homes and cut electricity in two provinces after turning from a post-tropical storm into a hurricane on Saturday.
Meanwhile, at least in Italy 10 people died after flash floods of “water bombs”, compared to a tsunami, hit the central Italian region of Marche earlier this month.
Record rains in Pakistan that caused unprecedented floods it affected 33 million and caused the deaths of hundreds of people, including children, officials said of the disaster.
