1pm Paloma strengthens slightly

By Brent Fuller, brent@cfp.ky

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At 1.00pm EST, the center of Hurricane Paloma was located near latitude 18.4 north...longitude 81.3 west or about 60 miles south of Grand Cayman and about 220 miles west of Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Paloma strengthens slightly Image: Accuweather

Paloma is moving toward the north–northeast near 6 mph. A gradual turn toward the northeast is expected Friday night and Saturday.

On the currently forecast track, the center of Paloma will pass near the Cayman Islands Friday night or early Saturday and be approaching the coast of central Cuba late Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph with higher gusts. Paloma is a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale.  Further strengthening is likely and Paloma is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane later today and possibly reach category three intensity late Friday or on Saturday.

Data from the NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the centre...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

The latest minimum central pressure estimated from a noaa hurricane hunter plane is 974 MB, a five MB drop off from the last report.

Storm surge flooding of 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels...accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves...is expected near the center of Paloma in the Cayman Islands.

Paloma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches over the Cayman Islands and central and eastern Cuba with isolated maximum totals of 15 inches possible. Flash flood and mudslides are also possible.