Tropical Storm Paloma Strengthens Over Caribbean
Date: 07-Nov-08
Country: US
The 16th tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season posed no threat to vital US oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico.
But it came in the last month of what experts correctly predicted would be a busier than normal storm season and may bring more grief to Cuba, which is still reeling from two powerful hurricanes that caused more than $5 billion in damage two months ago.
At 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT), Paloma was located 105 miles (165 km) northeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua-Honduras border, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
Paloma dumped rain on Honduras and Nicaragua on Thursday.
"In the higher areas of Gracias a Dios the rains have started and we expect flooding. We are telling people in the area to leave the mountain areas, there are a lot of people at risk," said Randolfo Funes, an official at Honduras' rescue agency Copeco.
The Miami-based centre said Paloma was moving to the north at 7 miles per hour (11 kph) with maximum sustained winds of near 60 mph (97 kph).
"Steady strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days," it said, adding that Paloma could become a hurricane by Thursday night.
A hurricane watch was in effect for the Cayman Islands meaning that hurricane conditions, including rainfall totalling up to 12 inches (30 cm) over parts of the wealthy British territory, were possible within 36 hours.
Jamaica could also be affected as the storm churns north and then makes an expected turn to the northeast and the National Hurricane Centre said Cuba faced the biggest potential threat.
Computer models varied on the future intensity of the storm. But the hurricane centre's official forecast called for it to become a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph), as early as Thursday night.
It was expected to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane with top winds of at least 96 mph (154 kph), US forecasters said, adding that it was likely to plough across central Cuba on Sunday before weakening back into a tropical storm as it takes aim at the Bahamas.
The Atlantic storm season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, has seen seven hurricanes so far.
(Additional reporting by Gustavo Palencia in Tegucigalpa; Editing by Eric Beech)