MIAMI (AP) — A tropical depression formed Thursday in the Caribbean and could become a major hurricane by the time it reaches the northern U.S. Gulf Coast over the next several days, forecasters said.
Both the Cuban and Cayman governments have issued tropical storm warnings following the formation of Tropical Depression Nine, according to information on the website of the U.S. National Weather Service.
Late Thursday morning, the depression had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (56 kph) and was located about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southwest of Negril, Jamaica, and about 210 miles (338 kilometers) southeast of Grand Cayman.
The depression is traveling northwest at about 13 mph (21 kph) and is expected to become a tropical storm by Thursday night when it passes over the Cayman Islands. It could be a hurricane when it approaches western Cuba and the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Friday, and a major hurricane by the time it reaches the northern U.S. Gulf Coast on Sunday, the weather service said. The central U.S. Gulf Coast should start to see rain from the depression by early Sunday.
